Armour Owner
by XocoW
Summary: The God who created the armours has arrived to bring back his warriors. With this unexpected visit to her Sanctuary, Athena will need to protect the peace on the earth but Saori will feel divided. Meanwhile, Hyoga and Ikki go to this new mission in an already known place.
1. NOTES

.

* * *

 **.**

 **NOTES:**

 _This story was mostly written to have this God around. I find him interesting and I had some headcanons about him in the StS Universe. As well, I wanted to share some ideas I have about the armours, especially the Black Saints' ones._

 _I will try to post it every Friday/Saturday._

 **Some other important points:**

* English isn't my first language and I didn't find someone to help me. Sorry if some parts aren't understandable, I tried my best.

* Remember, the way I write Peacock Shiva is this character being genderfluid, mostly referred as a female. If you don't like this, is easy to stop reading the fanfic.

* The relationships here as friendship and family.

 **Enjoy! Comments are appreciated!**


	2. Intro ooo

**_._**

* * *

 ** _._**

 ** _Intro ooo_**

The music on the main room was hard to ignore and quite loudly, meanwhile a second voice going with it, something weird to listen on Athena's chambers. Many servants didn't want to ask, and just the ones who were there helping to Athena herself, on changing her clothes to some elegant blue dress and beautiful white high heels, knew what was happening.

Two servants of the Goddess, and the other two trying to somehow do their work as the other woman was dancing and singing. It didn't take much time later when this woman moved and began to fix her own clothes when Saori smiled seeing so much energy. Her favourite song was on the speakers, a least the song that has being so obsessed with lately.

"Shake, shake, crazy! Freak in the night!" Peacock Shiva, the best friend of Saori Kido, quickly moved to be at her side and wink. "DJs playing all the songs that we like!"

"Shiva?" but Saori's voice was being interrupted, and not just her.

Shiva didn't care about the servants and moved Saori's body a bit.

"You gotta shake, shake, crazy, shake it all night."

The goddess, laughing a bit, needed to move and take some serious face. It was funny and, truly, infectious the energy of the Silver saint. But she was Athena and needed to profit all that time.

"Shiva, please. We need to be ready soon."

"Oh, don't worry, girl." Shiva smiled as she was fixing the dark green dress she was wearing. "The party don't start without you!"

"It is not a party, Shiva." Saori explained as she sat down and let the servants fix her clothes once again. "It is just a ceremony that Shion told me was a good idea to have. Six years had passed since the last Holy war, he thinks we need to remember it."

"Darling, for you may be a ceremony." Shiva was a bit serious now as she comes close to fix a bit Saori's hair, as she liked it: simple and framing her face. "But for people like me and my brother, Master Shaka and Mu. And even the other Gold and Silver saints, we have a party. We are alive, again. Thanks to you." She quickly kissed Saori's cheek and smiled to keep dancing. "So, let's shake, shake, baby! Let's get pretty and enjoy the party and ceremony!"

As the Silver Saint said, after some more minutes for them to get ready, the very serious ceremony began. The speech was on the open fields on the Sanctuary; big enough to keep many saints, trainees and some people from Rodorio. The beautiful goddess was giving some meaningful and deep message about living and keep surviving every year, some words that honestly Shiva didn't pay much attention so maybe she said all those things. Of course, she wasn't the only one, as some other saints were talking with each other or even some weren't there. Like Misty who, even if didn't like much Shiva, was accepting all the pretty words she was saying to him just curious about that flawless makeup. Or Deathmask who was for sure sleeping on his temple forgetting about the whole ceremony.

After the speech of their leader, the Saints decided to stay there a bit longer talking with each other and even some people from Rodorio who wanted to thank them once again for what they did. While all of this was happening, Lotus Aghora, who was talking with Lyra Orphée, one of his oldest friends, realised that someone was pulling his clothes to take his attention.

Since the beginning of the ceremony, even days before, the Bronze Saints were there. The so-called legends decided to go to the ceremony, obviously now one of them was entering, the one who loved to arrive late. But new days he had a good excuse.

"Hey! Brother Aghora!" a small child, son of Phoenix Ikki, smiled to the Silver Saint.

"Here it is the strongest saint in the Sanctuary." Aghora couldn't hide his happiness while he held the kids on his arms to salute. "Where is your dad?"

"Which one?" Ario answered almost immediately.

"Well, of course, your dad Ikki."

He wasn't getting used to remembering that his proper master was officially the father of this kid, even if it was only to help Ikki to be able to adopt.

Aghora, anyway, liked the idea that this kid saw them as a family. Before Ario could answer, a young girl ran saying his name to hug the Silver Saint. She was Helena, daughter of Ikki and sister of Ario. Obviously, behind her, there was the Bronze Saint.

"Ok, kids, looks like you found one Virgo," Ikki said coming close to hold Ario back. "But it is not the one I was looking for."

"Dad?" Helena quickly took a serious stand at the side of Aghora. "That's not how you say hello."

"It is fine, Helena. Don't worry." Aghora chuckled. "I already know your father, I wasn't expecting at all some kind of hello or anything like that. I was expecting he being late."

"Or, as he says, late on time."

Virgo Shaka, wearing civilian clothes, came close smiling and with the eyes close. But before he could come close to Ikki and greet the kids, his other student moved quickly, with high heels. Shaka was impressed, but then, again, he used high heels as well on his armour.

"Why are you so adorable?!" Shiva yelled almost scaring Ario, to then hold his cheeks and pinch them, without hurt but enough to make Ikki angry to move him away. "C'mon! Let me touch those adorable buns!"

"Peacock Shiva! You are going to scare him again." Shaka quickly held Shiva's shoulder to move her back some steps. "I'm sorry, Ikki. I told her not to do so."

The student just crossed her arms, showing a small pout, that didn't stay longer when feeling the other kid patting softly her arm.

"Hello, sister Shiva."

"Helena! I didn't see you! I'm sorry, my girl." The Silver Saint quickly held her face to kiss both cheeks and hold her close. "See? She is fine."

The girl giggled and smiled at his father, who wasn't so happy still about the small attack on his young son. But anyway, Helena looked in better ways with Shiva and that made him proud.

"I was just looking for Shaka to tell you I left the things in the temple. I hope isn't a bother."

"Not at all." Answered the Gold Saint. "You can stay any time in my house."

"Dad… I don't like it…" Ario said softly, still touching his cheeks. "Can't I stay with uncle Hyoga? His _tomple_ is colder and nice."

Ikki didn't know what to answer, he didn't want to seems rude in front of the Golden Saint, but Shaka smiled and pat the head of the young Asgardian kid.

"I understand. When Shiva was a kid she didn't like either. I really don't mind if he wants to stay with his uncle. I think even the Dragon Saint will stay tonight in the Libra temple." The Virgo Saint nodded. "I think I saw him talking with Athena and with his wife Shunrei. If I'm not wrong, Hyoga must be around tasting the wine."

"Great, let's go and ask them." Ikki nodded to look how his kid smiled now. He turned but saw that Helena didn't move much. "Darling?"

"Ah… dad?" she said a bit worried. "I'm tired and hungry… the food is on the other side"

Before the father of those two could say something, Shiva quickly smiled and hugged her even harder than before.

"I don't mind go with her for something to eat, really. I can go with her and go back to you as soon her belly is full."

"Thanks, Shiva." The worried father greeted her.

"Does the small cutie Ario wants to go too?" Shiva said with glitter in her eyes. But an answer wasn't necessary when the kid hide himself on the shoulder of his father. "Oh, well, I will bring you chocolate when I'm back. Let's go, Helena!"

And as he said, the young girl and the Silver Saint left to one way, the Bronze and Gold to the other, and finally, Lotus Aghora could keep talking with his friend about the premier of the next movie they wanted to go since months ago.

Shiva was walking holding the hand of Helena and waving to some of the Saints, the girl doing the same as she knew some or just to be polite to other. There was no one in the Sanctuary, apart from Shaka, Ikki and his brothers, that knew about their sad and terrible past in how they met. But one thing was for sure, it was now in the past and her father was proud and happy to know Helena wasn't bearing with the terrible feeling of revenge and, of course, she knew how to forgive. Even Shiva was still sometimes amazed at the fact that now this young girl was sitting at her side on one of the columns, talking and eating, as if they were friends since long time ago.

The Greek girl was indeed hungry as her plate had many of those mini sandwiches, cheese, meat and some cookies. All that food surely cooked from the people of Rodorio who, as Shiva explained to Helena, wanted to pay to their heroes.

"I really hope the woman from the bakery bring the strawberry cake I asked." The Saint explained. "It is the most delicious one. Of course, all this food was optional for them to bring, but I asked her personally to at least have one ready for me."

"May I taste it then?"

"Yes, better for aunt Saori. She can't win weight. What if that armour doesn't close anymore?"

She laughed a bit for her joke as Helena just chuckled to then perceive something with her nose.

"Shiva? Do you smell that?"

Immediately, the Silver saint opened her eyes and look a bit nervous.

"What?" she asked as if she was looking around. "I don't smell anything."

"It is like… sulphur? Like gasses from a volcano. It even smells like ashes. But that's weird." Helena began to have her serious face that meant she was thinking deeply. "There is no way a volcano could be that close."

"Maybe is nothing. Or Deathmask fart! Yes, that must be. He always smells like gasses from a volcano." The kid and Shiva laughed as she stood up and left her dish in his place. "Helena? Could I leave you here for a second? I saw a friend over there and I want to say hello. She came from a mission, so I had missed her."

"Yes, of course."

"Just don't go, ok? Stay here."

The Peacock Saint moved quickly to be on the other side of the field, at least not to be seen by the girl. With an ashamed face and some worrisome, he went there just for one simple task: spray some perfume over her neck and wrist to then go back with the girl. She was worried because wasn't the first person on a week that realised she had such a horrible smell. But why? Wasn't like she had something on her clothes or hair, he had been training but taking showers didn't help in hide that smell. And the worse was that he began to feel sick with headaches and sore throat for two days ago. Her mind began to try to have those facts together, even if couldn't be. Some sickness gives you bad smell so maybe she had it. Or not?

She was worried walking back when realising the girl was talking already with no one else but the goddess of the Sanctuary itself. Saori Kido, better called as Athena from everyone around but some few, was smiling having a conversation with the girl and her eyes quickly found out that the supposed babysitter was coming back.

"Did you finished saying hello?" she asked Shiva, but using her cosmos… " _leaving a girl alone just for a handsome boy, don't you?_ "

"It was a friend, an Amazon who came back from a mission." Shiva smiled to then take her dish again and keep eating as if nothing happened.

"Really? Which mission?" Asked Saori, mostly because she could remember very well where the female saints were going to so she could see if this Silver Saint was telling the truth.

Shiva's silence and his way to look at her made Saori understand that topic couldn't be touch any more. Something weird on her normally would tell everything to her best friend or, at least, many of the information of the reason why she left alone one of the kids of the most violent saint.

"Anyway, Helena, do you know why this ceremony is now and not last year?" Shiva smiled as she cleaned the corner of her lips.

"I was going to ask. Normally the anniversaries and such things are each five years, but you did it on six. Does it mean something?"

"It means aunt Saori didn't want a party. She is such a party pooper. But the old Patriarch decided that would help to the energy and soul of us, the warriors. But as well something important!"

"Shiva, we decided to keep it in secret till later." The Goddess crossed her arms looking at the saint.

"Oh, please, her own father brought it." she answered to wink at Helena. "Your father found something important that thought would be a good trophy. I already saw it last weekend when arrived but looks like you didn't."

"No, I didn't. So, can I see it?" Helena's eyes were now full of curiosity and those shiny sparkles of knowledge always touched Saori's heart. "What it is?"

The Indian girl and boy smiled to look at Saori. She knew very well her friend wouldn't say no. Saori just sighed and smiled to nod. The only problem was to somehow escape from everyone looking at her, their beloved goddess, but honestly wasn't hard as those two friends already got experience on that. If Shion didn't know! All those nights and important meetings he being worried just to find them later taking the sun or eating cake on the kitchen of either her temple or Virgo's.

The chamber was not secret but wasn't easy to find. It was filled mostly with books and paper from old times with different secrets on old Greek and other languages that, for sure, had to evolve with the time. There, on one of the corners close to a window, over a pedestal was something that indeed Helena didn't saw before but saw something similar.

It was the helmet that she could identify from photos from his father, on the times when she still lived on the Kanon Island waiting every week for a letter from Ikki. She came close but not enough to touch it, just see it.

"It looks like uncle Seiya's old helmet." She said with a smile but a bit curious. "Why it is black?"

Saori and Shiva didn't know how much she knew. Looks like Ikki didn't want to talk about that past of him. Which father would like to do so? Saori decided to explain as much as she could. The fact that there were other Saints who wasn't that good and those were the first enemies of them, without mentioning Ikki around. That helmet meant the beginning of a sad fight that finished in their victory and, thanks to the Gods and Athena advocating for her warriors, they could celebrate now.

Helena was interested, looking at the piece of the black armour as if it was an object to admire and in the same time to fear. Especially being the one of the Pegasus, the big hero, part of her new family.

But as the young girl was acting as a student in a museum, Shiva didn't mind at all and her curiosity won over her body. The Silver Saint moved quickly, so not even her friend could stop her, to take the helmet from their sight and quickly put it over her head.

"I'm Black Pegasus and I'm as ugly as Seiya!" she said changing her voice.

"Shiva! What are you doing?" Saori said a bit angry but Helena giggled a bit. "Don't you dare to use it! Think about… your hair!"

"Bah, I can fix it and I'm curious how may I look with a close helmet." She didn't say anything more as she put down the helmet to wear it and took her phone to use it as a mirror. "Oh, my, they ran all those stairs with the hair like this? It is a miracle they didn't fall… maybe Seiya did."

"Ok, Helena saw the helmet, you saw yourself on it. Now let's go." Saori said to come close to her and try to remove it. But Shiva did for herself. "C'mon, before Shion or someone else, knows about it. And, by the way, I will present it soon, so be sure it doesn't have to makeup."

The Peacock Saint did as his goddess asked and was going to left the helmet back to its place but looked at it some more seconds. It wasn't shining at all as the other armours but somehow has some sparkle on it and its energy was different from other energies in the armours. She just left it there, feeling uneasy about leaving it. Shiva sighed and followed the other girls outside.

As the ceremony continued, everyone was with happiness around. If wasn't only because of the good food and wine but wasn't every day when they could relax and have some normal way to enjoy life with friends and all together. After Saori showed the 'trophy' they had and talked about how it was a reminder of the past that they should remember to don't repeat it again, the real party begin. Yes, it was a small ceremony to lift up their energies, but little know Saori that some Silver Saints, being Algol, Misty and Shiva, and few Gold Saints, as Aphrodite, Aldebaran and Mu, decided to make indeed a party.

More music, more food, more drink. Of course, juice for the young trainees. From modern music that the radio didn't stop playing, not just only from Greece or American but as well looked like many of the Saints had already a favourite song from their own language or country, to even making Orphée play time to time when many of them were resting from all the dance.

Saori couldn't believe it, either Shion, but with the time and seeing how they were enjoying, they decided to join as well. Giving the freedom to other to leave any time now that was an 'unofficial' party from the Silver Saints.

It was so great to see them dance, singing, some drinking as friends, others just talking. Some left early as they weren't made for those parties, some others left without wanting to.

"But, C'mon, another beer?" Hyoga smiled already freezing one on his hand to give it to Ikki. "I don't have the all mighty Phoenix all the time, so let me enjoy you, my brother!"

"No, I need to go, really, duck." He chuckled as he was patting softly Ario's back who was already sleeping on his lap in a very uncomfortable way but very comfortable for him. "Helena already went with Shaka but Ario doesn't like to sleep alone so…"

"Great, the Phoenix can't drink as before," Hyoga said, showing a bit his too many drinks he had. "Who will take this cold beer from my hand, o Athena!"

"Me, thanks." Said Algol without stops his running.

After all, who could say no to such perfect cold beer?

And he indeed needed to keep running as Hyoga didn't wait any longer, just to say 'hold my beer' to the next saint alongside him. Ikki laughed because this and yelled a goodbye as he held Ario with both hands and did a small bed with them for him. As he rose up he just needed to turn and there was Shun, without drinking, but eating some cake and talking with Aghora, Orphée and some sleepy Nachi who wanted to show he could be awake longer time.

"Hey, brother. Hyoga went to do some gym with Algol, besties, so I need to go now."

"It is fine." Shun smiled looking at Ario. "That happens when you dance with every Amazon around the fire because they think you are cute?"

"Lucky boy!" Nachi said with a smile.

"By the way, Shun and Nachi, I asked permission to Shaka to use his kitchen so, if you want…"

"Yes, I want!" yelled the Wolf Saint. "Food? Yours? Yes! Do I invite the others? Perfect!"

Ikki just frowned a bit but nodded with a smile.

"Tell the others as well, Shun. Even bring June, I don't mind. Eight a.m."

"Am I invited as well?" asked Aghora, more like a joke obviously, he lived in the same temple.

"Yes, yes. You and Orphée, and your sister. And talking about her." Ikki said 'pointing' with a movement of his head. "She doesn't look so well, I didn't think she likes alcohol."

Aghora stood up as well to look where she was. With some Amazons and silver Saints, Shiva was sitting between Shaina and another female warrior, using her best friend as a pillow. She looked tired, something weird on her, but they all were very calm.

"She doesn't. But she has felt sick lately so maybe she needs rest. Go ahead, Ikki, maybe I will see you as soon as I leave my sister."

"We are not going to watch the stars?" asked Orphée.

It wasn't something normal to ask another Saint in that tone but Shun could understand; with so much loneliness after what happened, having some of this fun was weird for the Lyre saint, especially with the friendship he built with Aghora.

"Oh, yes, indeed. But I will just leave my sister on her bed and I will come back."

They did as they said, Ikki leaving directly to the temples, saying goodbye to some saints and some amazons, even some guys, finding adorable the fact that he had a small 'puppy', as Ikki called his son, on his arms.

Meanwhile, Aghora came close to the Amazons to say hello to them and be in front of her sister. She wasn't smiling, she looked tired and Aghora could see that something bothered her. But she was so tired and into her own sleepiness that didn't realise when his brother was that close.

"Shiva?" that's how took her attention and received a smile. "Are you ok?"

"I told her, she is too hot and doesn't look well," Shaina explained holding her friend's shoulders. "And by hot, I mean she has a fever. But she insists it is ok."

"You know, you are right," Shiva said to then sigh. "I think I can't keep with the party."

"Wow, the first time my sister will go from a party before me." Aghora chuckled to then give his hand. "Let's go, I will go with you to the temple."

"I think she was expecting another guy to take her from here." Shaina laughed helping her. "In some other way, of course."

"I bet so."

Aghora didn't like much talk about Shiva's private life but looks like between Shaina was a normal joke to have around.

After saying goodbye to her friends and jump, mostly being picked up, from his brother, Peacock Shiva was resting a bit more and fell sleep some moment as they were arriving at Virgo's temple. There, Shaka, who was awake because the arriving of Ikki minutes before and feeling their cosmos, received them as a father would do for their children.

Didn't spend much time between leaving Shiva on their bedroom and Aghora was just there finding her pyjamas while Shaka was giving her some of that medicine.

"You should come early if you didn't feel that well, Shiva." Said Shaka checking her fever.

"I was with my friends. I didn't feel that bad, I swear."

Her voice was low and a bit cut as if her throat hurt.

Lotus Aghora gave her the pyjama, the one she began to wear without a care about those two being there. Yes, they were men, but they knew very well that normally Shiva wouldn't get undress in front of them. Indeed, she was too sick and tired to think about it. They turned to keep talking and give her more privacy.

"Well, if you want me to stay, I can do it," Aghora said waiting patiently. "I bet Orphée may understand, he always does."

"No, no, he was waiting for tonight." Shiva laughed. "The nerd even brought his notebook." She turned to look at the back of both of them. "Sorry, you can turn now."

But as they did, they just looked something amazing. Impressive.

"Your bra." Said Shaka pointing at it, now outside of her clothes after her way to remove it.

"What?" Shiva looked at it. "What?!"

"You removed while using the pyjama…" Shaka kept looking at it as if was something that not even with a high cosmos or the seventh sense could be possible.

"Master, I think it's time to leave Shiva to rest." Aghora tried to don't laugh, after all, he remembered still the first time he saw that as well. "But, are you sure you don't want me to stay? What if you need something?"

"Listen, Aghora, really, go now." Shiva smiled. "You are a beautiful brother but you need your fun and I will be sleeping anyway. I'm sure that with the medicine that master gave me, I will be totally fine. If something happens I will call him."

Not so happy about it, Aghora smiled. Indeed, he knew it wasn't that much but was weird to find out his sister was sick and he wasn't there to take care of her.

"Fine, fine then. If master Shaka doesn't wake up and…"

"I will wake up, really. Ikki began to snore just touching the bed and Ario moves a lot."

"See? Everything is…" Shiva looked at Shaka a bit serious. "Ikki sleeps on your room?"

"The important point is, Aghora, we will be fine," Shaka said moving his hands, without losing his composure as he walked to the door making Aghora follow him. "Your sister needs to sleep, you need to have some fun. I will take care of her."

"And Ikki." Aghora said with a smile to, by surprise of them both, make a joke of that kind. "Anyway, I don't think I will stay much time watching the stars. Good night then, sister."

Shiva came close to hug him and kiss his cheek.

"Have fun, Aghora." She said to then do the same with Shaka. "Thanks for the medicine. Sleep well."

Both male Virgos left the room as the younger almost left herself fall on the thin bed close to the floor, falling asleep almost immediately hoping for the medicine to take action.

As they were walking, Shaka didn't wait much.

"What was that joke? Really?"

"Oh, sorry." Aghora chuckled. "But, master, I have a little problem. You see, Shiva doesn't get sick."

"She has a body and just wasn't a good time for her. We must never forget that we are humans, with a body that has its weakness."

"Did you say that to yourself before or after…"

"If you finish that joke, you will sleep with Orphée tonight, Lotus Aghora."

He chuckled once again and smiled.

"Shiva does it all the time, and when I do it I'm a sinner."

"Are you drunk?"

"No, no, sorry. Just…" he sighed. "I'm a bit nervous. This is making me feel uneasy like there is something wrong." Aghora explained. "If anything happens with my sister, please let me know."

"Of course, I will, Aghora. And you, better enjoy the stars and clean your mind. It isn't good to be thinking in worrisome in times of enjoyment."

The master was right, as almost most of the time. The Silver Saint did a small reverence to say goodnight and walked back to the small party that he could hear. But every step away from the temple, close to the music and the noise, he could feel the cosmos of the Peacock Saint going weaker or fading away from him. Aghora hated that feeling.


	3. Chap o1

**_._**

 ** _Chap oo1_**

The first thing Aghora did when he woke up after such fun and nice night, was check to Shiva. The Peacock Saint was still asleep but because some soft moans and the way she was sweating, the brother knew she wasn't right. He didn't want to wake her or anyone else up so decided just to place some cold towel on her, remove the covers and use the meditation energy for her.

For Lotus Aghora it was hard to meditate having in mind that feeling he had last night and how he saw his beloved sister on the morning. But minutes before finish his meditation, something he did alone this time because Virgo Shaka was resting, he felt something really weird. He felt as the air left his lungs and something hit his chest. Aghora didn't wait too long to stop levitating and run as fast as he could to the room where Peacock Shiva was. But there wasn't anything estrange. He waited some minutes as he saw how the woman moved a bit to then stand up, still with the eyes close and sat down.

"How do you feel, sister?"

Aghora sighed with a smile. He felt relieved for a second seeing her like this, still with the feeling of something weird happening.

"I'm just tired, Aghora." The girl smiled and looked at him.

It wasn't even a second, was more less than that, the Lotus Saint removed his smile. And as fast as that moment, he didn't wait to take a fight pose and make his cosmos call the Lotus Armour. Explosion of cosmos that made the other two Saints in the temple wake up.

"Who are you? What did you do to Peacock Shiva?"

The woman and man just looked at him, to chuckled softly as he stood up. He showed his hands and placed them in front of the Silver Saint to show there was no harm on his actions.

"Right now, I'm curious to know how you perceived it, but I'm glad to see humans still are smart." His voice was the same but was a weird tune there, one different to Shiva. "I would love to talk with Athena."

Before Aghora could say anything, the doors opened to find Shaka and Ikki, with their armours, ready to find an enemy. Big was the surprise of both looking to Aghora in a menace pose towards his own friend and sister. But thanks to the cosmos, they understood.

Peacock Shiva's cosmos was low while there was another one, strong enough to be almost side by side with Athena's own cosmos.

"Please, take me to the Goddess. If you wish to chain me or even knock me out to don't be a threat to you, do it." He smiled and kneel down to them, still with the hands up to show them. "I come in peace."

Aghora didn't move at all but was Shaka who come close and, with a strong voice that give him power on his own temple, opened his eyes to look directly at his student.

"I don't know who you are but it's an order when I say you need to leave this body. By no means or reasons, I'll let you come close to Athena, either."

Peacock Shiva stood up smiling. Even Ikki felt surprised in how different his old enemy was now. He decided not to say a word with his mouth but with his cosmos.

"I really prefer you let me see Athena. I don't want to hurt anyone." Shiva looked at Ikki as well. "I know there are kids here and…"

"Don't you fucking dare!" Ikki came close some steps just to be stopped by Shaka.

"I said I don't want to hurt anyone, much less innocents. If you will not let me see her, then I'll leave the Sanctuary... with this body."

"That body is my sister and brother-in-arms, I can't let you do that." Aghora's voice was serious and deep.

Shiva didn't say a word. His smiled fade away and just gave a step forward, his hand stood up to face them and they were ready to the fight if it wasn't because they heard someone else. And not just heard but feel.

"Stop right now!"

The Silver Saint that was now a vessel was the only who down his hand hearing that voice and feeling that cosmos.

The other three Saints let some space so Saori Kido could enter to the room. The change in the cosmos of Shiva was like a battle between her own and this new one who possessed her body. Saori could see it as the friend and goddess.

Either way, he did a reverence and showed a big smile. His eyes were shinning.

"Athena. Such a gorgeous woman you are."

"Dress yourself, whoever you are, I'll be waiting you." She then turned to the Phoenix saint, giving the back to Shiva. "Escort Shiva and let Shaka and Aghora behind. I don't want them around her."

"That will be hard... see you then."

As she arrived, she left. Leaving behind the scene of an angry Aghora, a worried Shaka and, even if others couldn't feel it, a Shiva crying for help to her friend.

Phoenix Ikki's mission wasn't something easy to do. If it wasn't because he asked to Shaka to take care of the kids, and how the same Gold Saint helped him with Aghora, he would take more time to go with Athena. Peacock Shiva was at his side, in silence, walking up the stairs and passing for each temple with a smile. Obviously, for Ikki and the others was quite weird to find out the Peacock Saint using such male clothes, without make up and accessories. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt and some jeans, but the shoes seem elegant and somehow the poise made it look as it was someone very important for every step he did. That, at least, was close to Shiva's personality.

It wasn't very comfortable to Ikki being walking like this, with such silence and curious to know what was happening, but on the Capricorn Temple, he decided to at least talk a bit.

"So, who are you?" he asked finally. "Surely you are not Shiva."

"That's true, but I must admit I like to use this Saint as a vessel. It is beautiful. And it is weird. Do you know him?"

"Enough, I guess. But you didn't answer…"

"Then explain this." Quickly, the man interrupted. "I have blurry memories and feelings of this person. I can't understand if it is a woman or a man."

"She is both. Now, I'm doing this because Athena…"

"And what is he for Athena, by the way?" it looked like the man was not paying attention at all to the Phoenix Saint, who was diluting his patience. "Seems very close to each other."

By that moment, Ikki was tired and didn't want to say anything more. But his face didn't go to an extreme anger as he felt his best friend coming close. Earlier, when in Virgo's temple, he called Cygnus Hyoga to let him know about this problem via cosmos.

Now, entering to Aquarius Temple, Ikki felt much better knowing that he wasn't going to be alone in this small trip to Athena. He was still curious in why she asked that, and at that moment something took more his attention now looking at his brother with that black shirt and those unwashed jeans that for sure were on the floor for a week.

"Hey, bro!" Hyoga smiled as he lifted his hand to wave at them. "Saori told me about…" the Siberian stopped and his face changed in a second. "Who is…?!"

Both man in front of him looked a bit surprised. The older brother turned to look at Shiva, and his face and body was still the same. Of course, some expressions and the way he moved were different from the daily Silver Saint but didn't change at all.

"What you mean?" Ikki asked.

" _He is just so ugly, who he is?_ " Hyoga's cosmos was talking as he was coming close to give his hand as he was going to present himself.

"I think we know each other, don't we?" The Peacock Saint smiled to then look at him careful. "Don't you recognize a friend? Or maybe I'm mixing things?"

"Man, calm down. Are you still drunk?" Ikki, a bit worried now, came close to hold Hyoga's shoulders. "He is Shiva, at least his body. I don't know what the fuck happened but Saori ordered me to walk her to her chambers."

"Him." Said the man.

"Excuse me?" Ikki turned.

"I'm not a female."

The Phoenix Saint sighed and nodded to then hear Hyoga chuckled and look a bit more careful.

"Sorry, sorry, I have the hangover." He pointed at his head and moved his shoulders. "So, anyway, Saori told me to go with you two as well and…"

"Saori?" asked and interrupted again this other man. "You must be talking about Athena." Now looked a bit angry as he kept walking leaving them behind. "The goddess deserves all the respect, do not call her as a mortal name in front of me."

The other two Saints didn't wait to keep walking alongside Shiva, or whoever was now, but Ikki kept a bit curious of what happened minutes before. He would ask again if possible.

After a silent walking towards the main chambers of the Sanctuary, both Bronze Saints entered the room of the throne with the Silver saint. Inside there was Saori Kido wearing her ornaments and the traditional clothes of Athena, dressed for important meetings or having all Gold Saints in the same room, which always meant something dangerous.

She wasn't alone. At her right was Shion and at her left was Saga. The first with his old pope clothes disguising his armour, the other showing it with proud. Both serious and looking at the Saint they already know but couldn't somehow identified. Saga sighed a bit angry from knowing why that burst of cosmos meant and sad because the respect and friendship he had with Shaka to now see his beloved student like this.

This man in Shiva skin smiled once again and quickly walked towards the Goddess. With both hands, up and leaving a gap of space between him and Athena. She was serious, sad and confused. She just stood up and looked at her friend.

"I hope no one bothered you on your way to me."

"No one." Shiva answered. "I may think I should be grateful towards you, my Goddess."

Saori nodded.

"I ask to the Gold Saints don't even go outside their temples and don't worry about your cosmos. It is growing every minute, as I can see."

"Athena?" Asked Saga a bit surprised. "Do you know who is the one who took Shiva's body?"

"I don't know but, even before feel the blast of energy from the Virgo Temple, I felt a cosmos close to me at night that left and woke me up. I felt its movement and followed. That's why I arrived in time to the Virgo Temple." She now looked at the man in front of him. Some seconds just to see if she could remember. "Your cosmos is familiar, as we had met before. And I must admit it isn't dangerous. But, listen to me... I'm not happy at all you are using one of my saints and close friend as a vessel."

"I'm sorry, my Goddess." He did a reverence. "I saw he was close to you, maybe thinking was more than a friend. I just thought was a good idea."

Athena didn't say a word but could feel the rage of Saga being hide and her own surprise. She didn't know if trust this amicable cosmos, even if seeing the face of her friend made her feel uneasy in doubt. Shiva never would hurt her, she saw Saori as her best friend to swear loyalty and friendship to her cause without believing in gods.

"Ikki? Hyoga? Thanks a lot. Please wait outside."

"Outside?" Asked the older as the other brother just turned ready to go. "C'mon. I want to know the gossip, the whole story."

"There is no respect for your goddess?" Shiva looked really angry, but just closed his eyes and sighed. "Mortals."

"She didn't change much in some things." Ikki chuckled to turn as well and hold Hyoga's neck to drag him out. "Let's go, bro. We have time to pass together."

Both saints left, closing the heavy doors behind them. At that moment, Saori just looked at Shiva. She could feel her cosmos fighting but going slowly tired, and Athena didn't know what to do.

"I'm Aries Shion. Pope of the Sanctuary." He presented himself and turned as well to his companion. "Gemini Saga, one of the guards of our goddess." Shion gave a step forward with authority. "Present yourself and what's your affairs with Athena."

"I'm sorry for my rudeness." The man smiled to reveal himself. "I'm son of Hera, I'm the God of fire and metallurgy, Hephaestus."

Saori took some air and held herself to the chair. As Athena couldn't remember much, those years were too much in the past. But as Saori Kido, avid reader and lover to study her own mythology, she knew this character enough to feel uncomfortable.

"What about the other ten?" Hephaestus moved his hand to point at some columns. "They may know how to hide their cosmos but not from me. And it lacks one, which I may believe is the one that this vessel calls 'master' or 'father'. Am I right?" He chuckled a bit. "I didn't come to harm anyone but I understand your precautions bringing your best warriors here."

The two Saints alongside Saori glances at each other. Their aspect was confused but the look on Shion's face said much more than Saga's. One was just surprised because how all the other companion in arms were discovered so easily, he could hear the sight of anger from Deathmask. While the older one just couldn't show his emotion towards the god.

"Looks like they hadn't taught you well." Hephaestus said with a smile and crossing his arms. "Athena, I'm the creator of every single armour in the Greek army. I began with yours because your father asked me but with the time all the other Gods and Goddesses asked me to do the same. I can feel the armours I created so many years, they still remember me." He chuckled. "That's why I knew there were more of you." The god observed at Shion. "Would you like to add something else?"

Athena, Saori Kido, just turned to look at him. He sighed, realising he would need to say it what he knew before the same God.

"As he said, he is the creator of the armours. From Hades to Poseidon, even the same armour you use, our Goddess. He taught to my people how to evolve them, as well how to fix them, we used to follow him as our God."

"But that was years ago, millennials I could say." The God nodded to give him the reason. "I let some of them to come here and serve you, so they could fix and evolve my creations. But, of course, with the time they preferred to follow a beautiful Goddess like you. I can say, I miss them. You can't be a god without people who pray for you."

"That's why you came here?" asked the woman as she stood up. "Do you want them back?"

At that moment, all the other Gold Saints leave their hiding and were in front of their columns. Indeed, the Virgo Saint wasn't there as well the Aries one. Hephaestus looked at them not as insulted but more like an artist who is proud that his piece of art was being shown in this way.

"No and yes." He answered, just to be interrupted.

"We weren't the only one who followed him." Said Shion giving a step forward, as he was ready to attack not with his hands but with his words, saying a sharp truth. "He created the Black armours as well, giving them to your enemies."

"Enemies is an exaggeration for them." The God said with a smile but slightly angry in how this mortal took his word. "I just gave those armours to those who, disappointed and sad, couldn't win an armour from your army. That's why I did the replicas."

"Replicas that had being use by our enemies." Answered Saga a bit angry.

Hephaestus, for the first time, sighed to show his anger. He didn't look pleased, Saori could see that angry face in her friend, something very weird.

"I'm trying to talk with Athena, who is my equal, and you, Golden Saints and mortals, keep interrupting not just me but even being too disrespectful with your own Goddess. She is a grown woman, let her talk and give the questions and answers."

Thanks to this Shion and Saga didn't know how to react or answer towards that. He was right, they thought, but it was something incredible and weird to see a Silver Saint, specially this one who was always in good humour and happy to be around Saori or Saga, talking in this way to them.

Athena herself decided to sit down once again on the throne. Thinking in the words both Saints and the same God said to her. And as well, sending a message via cosmos.

"The Black Saints aren't part of my army, I don't know what has happened to them. You, as a god, must know about them."

"Not all Gods are watchers of the world, Athena. Maybe you forgot about it. If you were in the Olympus you would be, but I'm not." He answered. "I'm too low but too important to do so."

"Then, I'm sorry to give you bad news. I know that some of them are dead. For what I know, they were the strongest Black Saints."

The God just opened his eyes widely, as someone knowing the dead of a familiar that, even if not close, still a familiar. He sighed and held his hands looking at the floor.

"That must be sad." Hephaestus said finally. "Honestly it hurts me to know this, they were my warriors after all. I came too late. But, you see, the armours called me. They are broken and hurt." His face changed to a slight smile. "I just want that. I came to repair them."

"Repair the armours of our enemies?" Saga quickly moved forward again, this time more and more, going downstairs as he talked. "You take the body of an important Saint for us, came here without shame and now you are asking us to repair the armours of enemies?!"

"Saga!" Athena stood up from her throne but was too late.

If Peacock Shiva had patience in such level that was hard to see her angry, this God was something different. He didn't wait any longer as the Gold Saint came closer.

With a single movement of his hand, a blast of cosmos and air made Saga fly towards the ceiling, enough to hit one of the columns. He stayed there for some minutes, as his Armour was now paste to the rock because the constant throw of energy toward him.

"I asked nicely to don't interrupt!"

At this moment, every Saint showed their cosmos and came close ready to attack in any second. But Athena interrupted them. She saw something they didn't. Even if some of them knew Shiva, some were close in one way or another to either her or Shaka, they were seeing and feeling an enemy. A cosmos from a powerful God. But Saori could feel the cosmos of Shiva, tired and falling sleep inside her own body, because now Hephaestus's cosmos was higher and hurting her.

"Put him down, Hephaestus." Said Athena coming close, worried for her friend and how that body was losing energy.

He did as ask. Closing his hand, Saga fell to the floor and Shiva, at least her body, was almost falling on his knees if it wasn't because Saori decided to help.

"This body is strong but not enough to keep a God. Not yet." He sighed holding Saori close to stand up, but she knew was just an excuse to touch her bare skin. "Thanks, Goddess."

Athena quickly moved backwards, looking at Shiva, at Hephaestus. He didn't like that look; was a face of disgusting and anger. The male God sighed and for a moment felt inferior.

"We will think about it." she said quickly trying to recover herself and in the moment the doors opened, with only Phoenix Ikki coming inside.

"Don't worry. I will leave this body by tomorrow." Hephaestus said serious still looking at her.

"Ikki, please, take Shiva to the Virgo temple and tell Shaka and Aghora to take care of her."

"Stop talking to me as I'm your friend, because I'm not."

Saori turned again surprised of those words. Maybe the God didn't think about it but was painful to hear that from Shiva. But it was true. There wasn't Shiva anymore.

"Ikki, please take Hephaestus to the Virgo Temple. Shaka and Aghora will take care of him… as well some guardians will follow you." She said with strong voice. "I will ask you, Hephaestus to low your cosmos. Some other saints already are asking about it and I don't want more problems."

The God just nodded.

"As you wish." The Phoenix Saint smiled to hold Shiva's shoulder to let him know they will go.

For a moment, as the doors closed, the Gold saints were in silence. Those who wasn't helping Saga to stand up, looked at their goddess who was walking towards the room behind the throne.

"Athena? Miss Saori?" asked Shion.

"We will talk about this in some minutes. Give me a small break, please."

Shion didn't say anything, hearing the cut words and feeling the sadness. Her tears weren't visible, but she felt so useless in that moment feeling how Shiva's cosmos was totally asleep, and she couldn't do anything against that.

The path to the Virgo Temple somehow was faster, the silence was heavier and Phoenix Ikki felt a bit less stressed having a God so close, even feeling his cosmos so low, mostly because, thanks to Saori telling him before, Hyoga took the kids away from the Temple. But he still couldn't feel comfortable as this was something that would bother Shaka every single minute and, as his close friend, Ikki didn't like that idea at all. The Phoenix Saint decided to keep silence, he didn't want to bother more the few peace his friend had, he could see it on his face.

Lotus Aghora and Virgo Shaka looked at the God, not knowing yet he was that, and the other guards who were alongside the Bronze Saint. Hephaestus smiled and did a small reverence as it was the first time they met, and mostly because now he said his real name as if it was something normal. Something that made Aghora surprised and Shaka, even if in silence as always, angry.

Ikki explained as he could; they needed to take care of him for a while, just enough time for Saori and the others thought about what this God was asking for. Aghora didn't say a word, waiting patiently as a good student that his master talked.

"Fine, then." Shaka said finally. "You may stay on Shiva's room with the guards."

"Thank you, Virgo Saint, but I would prefer the library. I would like to spend my waiting as I read something."

"I don't see why not." The owner of the temple nodded.

"I appreciate it." The god smiled and looked at his new guardians. "Simple armours but are useful I guess. Please, follow me, I'm very tired and I would like to rest."

The poor guards were confused so they just did as he asked, leaving Shaka and Aghora alone with Ikki. The younger looked at them, they look that were going to say something of great importance and therefore just moved his head to let him know he would follow.

One of the favourite rooms of Ikki on this temple was the library, not because he liked to read or anything, but the inside of those walls was beautiful as nothing else. Old books from different languages and times made this place full of colour and textures. The rugs from the India, some green plants and the wood from the few chairs and coffee table, that always had a tray with cups and teapots of silver with detailed decorations. Some paintings on the walls that showed Buddha, lotus flowers and even one that Ikki brought from Japan that had a beautiful cherry tree. It was impossible to watch every detail, colour, texture and even fragrance this room had.

But that day, all that was left apart from their minds. This room was now a cell for a prisoner, or something close to it. The other saints however, went directly to the meditation room. Ikki could smell the hard incense as Shaka reunited on the floor with his friend Aries Mu, who said hello to Ikki in a very quickly way, and whom had some books open in front of him. Ikki and Aghora sat as well, being the first who realised that was written in old Greek and some notes in an old Hindi that never saw before.

"Are you here for the explanation?" Mu smile. "Well, I don't think so, but your timing it's perfect."

"And now I'm curious." Ikki mumbled a bit for himself.

"While you were going downstairs, Athena explained to me some few matters." Said Shaka holding one of the books. "I think we can help Shiva in time."

"Help her? Well, I understand that but the same God say that by tomorrow she will be ok."

"You don't understand." Aghora said to then sigh a bit sad. "Sorry, I didn't mean it in that way. I know you understand because your brother passed by something similar. But, even if mine looks in a better way because the God promised to go away…" he crossed his arms, looking very wise as his master. "I felt Shiva's cosmos asking for help and crying. And I know she had fight a long way to be able to be the owner of herself, even from her own body, so now…" the way he breathed was a sign of hate and anger that Ikki didn't see even on their battle. "Someone so easily takes it from her."

"You need to control yourself, Aghora." It wasn't the master but Aries Mu who said this.

The silence was there, Ikki could understand this and didn't want to compare his pain with Aghora's, it was the last thing this man needed.

"I hadn't done this in a while and in this level, but an exorcism." Shaka said interrupting the lack of sound. "Must be easy and quickly. A bit painful but will work."

"Wait, you mean you can remove a God from the vessel?" Ikki asked.

"I know what you think but wasn't the same when Shun." The Virgo Saint explained. "The same Gods, as any spirit or energy, has hierarchies. Gods like Athena has their own body, but like Poseidon or Hades are too strong. For what I heard, Hephaestus isn't that powerful and having alongside Athena herself and Aghora, I think will be a good option."

"Ok, ok, I understand." Ikki smiled. "So, you had done exorcism before? Well, that sounds like a cool story I want to hear, later of course. But do you need any help?"

"If you can help us in chain Shiva, that will be great." Aghora nodded.

The Bronze Saint was ready to make a terrible joke, but it wasn't the time, so he just agreed in helping them. That would make Shaka happy and all this better for anyone, including his kids.

"We need Athena herself, something blessed by or belongs to her." Said Mu reading the old Greek notes. "Saints that can control other level of cosmos. I think that's how they called to the illuminated man back then." He chuckled. "And well, knowing the name of said energy."

"We have everything." Aghora said standing up. "We should begin as soon as possible."

"There is only one small problem." Shaka said, as they three followed Aghora in his actions. "I want your around in case something wrong happens, I'm pretty sure I can do it by myself. But…"

"Oh, Shaka, I like how humble you are." Said Ikki as a joke. "Just say you need help."

"Anyway." The Virgo Saint kept talking after a small grin towards the Phoenix Saint. "I believe you are ready for this Aghora, but in this moment you are not in control of yourself."

"What you mean?" he asked surprised.

"I never thought you would break your serenity but looks like you did. Even if I want to begin right now, I will need to ask you to go and meditate till you have it back."

Lotus Aghora was serious, looked anger than before but somehow as well disappointed. He just nodded knowing that his master was saying the truth. How not to break his years and years of training if it was his beloved friend, someone he called sister because their bond, was now in this terrible situation? Aghora was in pain as well.

But as he was going to answer to this terrible truth, the four of them feel an energy coming from the library. As quickly as they could, the Saints ran towards just to find the door closed and some yells inside. Their imagination wasn't so far from reality: this god decided to hurt his guards and run away perhaps.

Aries Mu held the door's handles just to remove his hands immediately.

"They are burning!"

As Shaka helped to heal, Ikki didn't wait too long to concentrate his cosmos on his hands and don't be as hurt as the Gold Saint. When the door open, other surprise arrived.

On the floor, they could find the three guards yelling for help. Ikki and Mu tried to help them to stand up, but their armours were so heavy, so much that one of those had his hand under their body making it break in pieces. Meanwhile, Aghora ran to the open window.

There was no trace of his beloved sister, not a cosmos to follow and, because Saori asked it, not even from the God. They disappeared from the Sanctuary.


	4. Chap o2

**_._**

 ** _Chap oo2_**

As the hours passed, feel as many but count as less, finally the last team of Silver Saints arrived to the throne room. Saori was there, waiting patiently as Whale Moses and Ophiuchus Shaina kneel down in front of her and said those words she was waiting but didn't like at all.

Many Saints were send to find that 'peculiar and strange' cosmos, as Gemini Saga explained without truly saying the purpose of this. They were orders from the same Athena, for sure not everyone would doubt about it. Some would just ask to themselves out of curiosity or to their close friends trying to find the reason for this mission, because for sure at least someone should know about it. But there were few others, who did a strange connection.

Whale Moses did a reverence and moved outside, being asked that he should still looking for that cosmos and give immediately answer if he could. And as he did this, the woman stayed to just stand up and give a step closer to the leader of this army.

"My Goddess, I would like to ask you something. But not like a servant, in fact I would like to ask you something as Saori." Shaina explained herself, showing some worrisome.

Saori Kido nodded, knowing for sure what was the reason of this question. She very well knew Shaina and Shiva were close friends.

"I saw many of the Silver Saints coming around to look for this cosmos. But I didn't see her, and I hadn't feel her cosmos since last night. Is Shiva ok? She looked tired last night, even Aghora took her back to the temple."

"It is just that, Shaina." Saori gave a fake smile. "She has been sick, looks like something didn't did well to her stomach."

"But... I can't feel her cosmos. Maybe I should visit her sooner or later."

"Later will be a good idea." Shaina turned as Lotus Aghora entered the room, being followed by Ikki and Hyoga. "My sister asked us to don't have visits, she doesn't feel too well."

"Really?" Shaina crossed her arms looking at this tall man. "But I bet she would love to have extra attention if she doesn't feel well."

"Yeah, that's Shiva." Aghora smiled warmly. "But as well, she wouldn't like anyone see her in this condition. I'm not kidding, she looks very tired and is throwing up a lot. So, don't worry, I'll tell her you send good energy when I go back."

The Ophiuchus Saint looked at him a bit angry but sighed then. It was right what he said, for sure Shiva wouldn't like to show lack of her glamour looking all emaciated.

"What about her cosmos?"

"I said she is tired. She put it very low."

Saori could see the doubt on Shaina's face, before she could ask anything else, the Goddess stood up from her throne.

"Anyway, we need to talk about some matters about Rodorio." Athena said with a smile. "Aghora? Boys? Come with me, please."

"Boys?" Asked Ikki a bit indignant about it. "Excuse me?"

"Just shut up, bro." Hyoga didn't wait to push him out of there.

They walked to the back of the throne, where a private room was for the Goddess. Meanwhile, Gemini Saga gave the same orders to Shaina about the strange cosmos, asking her to leave the main temple in a very polite way. But she wasn't satisfied with all this and, as she placed her mask once again over her face, decided to give a visit to the Virgo Temple.

"Boys? Really?" Ikki was ranting.

He was murmuring, while the others were coming close to Saori to give the news. Obviously, as a God, Hephaestus left without a trace of cosmos and for sure use the speed of the Silver Saint to run away without being noticed. The only trace he left was some guards hurt as the ones he left behind in the Virgo Temple. But there was something else that they didn't expect.

"Looks like didn't leave with empty hands." Lotus Aghora explained with arms crossed and some tiredness of his voice. "Shiva stole..."

"Hephaestus." Interrupted the Phoenix Saint quickly.

The Lotus Aghora just sighed and looked a bit angry. Those were expressions not many people knew on him, but after all, he was human.

"Sorry, you are right. Hephaestus stole a book from the library." He said finally. "Looks like, maybe some time ago, Shiva found it out of curiosity as she always does and, having her memories, the God took it from us."

"Is that book important?" Saori asked.

"Looks like. It has spells of old times, as my master told me. He is trying to find which kind but looks like they meant to be about healing."

"Spells?" Ikki asked curious. "As in witches?"

"Maybe what we call cosmos can see as magic new days, Ikki." Hyoga nodded. "But either way, if Hephaestus wanted it, then must be important."

"That's sure, Sherduck, but the question is, where is he now and why to use that spell in specific?

As if they were discussing this, Aghora just kept in silence, thinking with the same pose as before. Saori looked at him, indeed was a brother who worried for his young sister, there was no doubt about it. But, while Ikki's voice began to go up in their discussion, the Lotus Saint woke up from that small trance. He sighed and looked to Athena.

"Anyway! Hyoga just gave me an idea." Said Ikki quickly.

"I did?" asked his friend a bit curious.

"Obviously, if Hephaestus isn't here, just mean one thing. He went back to the Death Queen Island. Or whatever it last from that horrible place." He explained with a smile. "The armours always come back there."

"How do you know?" asked Saori.

"I trained there, I had the Black Saints as neighbours, of course I know that."

The Goddess nodded thinking in this possibility. Or, better say, a fact about the final place Hephaestus would go.

"Saori, may I go now?" Aghora interrupted right away with a step forward. "I had told you all I know."

His voice was different, his tone was tired. Even to Ikki an Hyoga, was impressive to see and hear such difference on him.

"Yes, Aghora. If you or your master know something new, you can tell me any time."

The Lotus Saint did a reverence and turned around just waving his hand to the other saints. They knew very well that horrible feeling and must even be harder. Aghora never left Shiva's side since they met, while Seiya and the others left away years for the training to then see each other again later. Their bond was stronger.

"How many Saints do you think will be necessary to arrive at the Death Queen Island, Ikki?"

The Phoenix Saint felt a bit surprised by the question and crossed his arms to think about it. He smiled and moved his shoulders, as he was sure but in the same time he doubt about an idea on his head.

"Maybe four of them? It depends. I don't think Black Saints are that strong anymore, much less organized." But Ikki chuckled moving a bit his head to disapprove. "Don't tell me you want to send an army there."

"Why? If it is what we need to do to find Shiva."

"Oh, great." that tone of voice, both Hyoga and Saori knew it very well, such sarcasm. "It is ok if we decide now to go and yell thru all the Sanctuary ' _hey, do you remember that annoying peacock Saint that some of you want to slap and others want to be inside her skirt? oh, guess what, she has been possessed by a God that, by the way, just ran away. Who wants to die?_ '. Because, that sounds such a wonderful idea."

"Ikki, please." Saori sighed a bit angry. "Just say what you want to say, you know I hate when you talk like that."

"What I try to say is if you want others to go and fight, you need to explain them to whom they are fighting to."

"I normally don't like to say it, but Ikki is right." sighed Hyoga. "If you tell to everyone on the Sanctuary about this, they will freak out. Six years ago, we had two gods kicking our ass, I don't know if it is enough time so everyone is ready for another one. Specially, knowing the new enemy arrived in something so close as the student of a Gold Saint."

Saori Kido closed her eyes thinking about it. The other option was to bring the few people who knew or the Gold Saints. But who would go? Many of them had duties there in the Sanctuary, some others would hurt Shiva without matter who she was. For Shaka and his close friends, all this was too personal to even try. As well, she thought, what if Hephaestus kept being there in the Sanctuary? They would need someone to protect them or even calm the same warriors.

Then, the other option. Aghora didn't look so great with these horrible news, he couldn't do it. But there was someone who wasn't so attached to Shiva.

"Would you go?" Saori asked finally. "Do you think you can handle this mission alone?"

"You are asking me to go for Shiva?"

"I know you don't like me but... do it for me as your Goddess, even do it for Shaka who loves his student. If you want me to pay you...

"Calm down, woman." Ikki chuckled. "I didn't say no, I was just wanted to be sure you asked it to me. I count like three men and those Saints already knew me as their leader. But, by the way, about the payment...

"No, wait, wait." Hyoga decided to interrupt. "He can't go alone! I should go too, then. He said was necessary four man, if he is three then he needs one more, don't you think so?"

Athena smiled because of this and nodded to them. The way they somehow celebrate, giving each other a high-five, for this mission made Saori think about Shiva. She felt the anger and the sadness on the same time as she thought about how that god decided to took the body of her best friend, how he dared to come and do it knowing she meant so much to her human side.

"Good plan." Ikki sighed but looked like a glimpse of a realization arrived just in that moment. "Fuck...

"The kids?" Hyoga asked being sure for the answer.

"I think being excited of having a fight after so long made me forgot something very important. But, maybe Shaka will take care of them without problem."

"Lovely married couple." smiled Hyoga seeing the angry face of Ikki. "Anyway, we should get ready. Saori, we promised you we will bring back Shiva!"

"Thanks a lot." Saori smiled standing up as those two left the room... obviously, Ikki holding Hyoga very hard from the neck.

She was now alone one more time. She trusted on those two saints, but still was worried for her friend. Saori was worried if they needed to use violence or the simple fact that her best friend would change after this attack to herself. Shiva was a strong saint, but remembering how Shun suffered, and he had the god inside for short time, made Saori sighed.

The Goddess needed to calm herself as the doors opened again, this time with three Saints of higher rank. Shaka being the last one, maybe because he found himself in the path with Ikki and Hyoga. Wasn't a maybe, as he asked almost immediately about this mission they had and Saori explained the best she could.

"We could go, Athena." said the Gemini Saint.

"After what happened with Hephaestus earlier, I don't think is a good idea." added the old Aries Saint, who was now in civil clothes. "The best is to trust on them. And Saori is right, they don't have bonds with Shiva to do something out of the feelings. We should just ask them to don't hurt her too much."

"Agree." now the Virgo Saint was the one who gave a step forward. "Either way, I will explain later to Ikki about what we know so far. Or part of it. The thing is, Miss Athena, I found out about the spell book." Shaka moved his hands as he explained while the other Saints were paying attention to this. "It was a book about healing and control of the bodies. Someone decided to put the called black magic with healing one. The problem isn't just that, because I'm afraid a god could easily make an army of dead corpses."

"What's worse than that?" Saori asked surprised by this.

"The whole book talks about the use of the dark dimension cosmos to use it for the spells."

"Excuse me?" Saga quickly interrupted. "Dark dimension cosmos? Are you sure? That's impossible"

Saori Kido, the new Athena of this world, just opened her eyes widely. For a moment, she felt like a kid who hears the adults talking about important matters she couldn't understand. She felt terrible because of that so didn't wait any moment to stand up once again and ask an explanation about this new information. After all this, Saori thought, she would need some more classes with Shion.

"Well, the Dark Dimension isn't so known between many saints." the Virgo Saint closed his eyes and took the attention of Saints and Athena as he began to explain.

This knowledge was only known to the high ranks, and still not everyone knew about. This place, this new dimension, was almost exactly as the one we humans live, except here lives the spirits of those who can't go to either heaven or hell, or whatever name or believe they gave to this, explained Shaka thinking that not everyone has the same faith. In some way, this place was the limbo. The souls, full of anger or pain, deep sadness and looking for revenge or simple death finished here, making this place full of those matters in negative energy. Not many people can cross the path between them, much less survive there, but with training and hard work it is possible to use the cosmos that emanate from this dimension. For reasons unknown, by these time, only the Virgo, Cancer and Gemini Saint could use it. Somehow, Cancer Deathmask as many others saints doesn't exactly enter to this realm of darkness but use their energy to open the bridge between the life and death. Meanwhile, Gemini and Virgo saint, break the thin layer of time and space between those two dimensions to be able to absorb the energy and use it easily and open the portals they need. Gemini Saints use it against their enemies to throw them to their new path while the Virgo Saints open a bridge to the different realms and, with even harder train, can walk to this dark dimension without problem.

"Of course, the cosmos energy we need is most of the time a lot. Heavy to bear, so we don't use it often or with all the intensity it has. Cancer Saints doesn't bother too much because their connection with death, at least the few ones that had walk this path. For them it is almost easy to do what they do." Explained Shaka. "But they can't never use fully this energy or walk to this dimension. We both, Gemini and Virgo, needs a small cut on the layer, because the energy of that place is even heavier than here. We need a small amount to few things."

"Generally, this dimension of the live ones, use its energy to keep every creature alive, the world keeps spinning. We use this energy to fight and make our cosmos stronger, but as well that energy doesn't divide equally and that's how people born with or without enough cosmos to fight like we do." Gemini Saga decided to help with the explanation his friend began. "Meanwhile, this other world, has too much energy without use. Everything is death there. They are like virus, they move and procreate but aren't exactly alive. Still, is energy."

"It is believed that the Gemini constellation has this energy because the duality..." Shaka said, not so happy looking at Saga a bit embarrassed.

"It isn't necessary to explain how this bad use of energy is show in people like me." the Gold Saint smiled, but not proudly.

For some seconds, Saori closed her eyes to make an organization of all this information she received. She still had doubts about it but decided to leave them and move to the important ones of this moment.

"You are telling me then these spells need this energy. And not everyone can do it. Should, then, be worried of Hephaestus having this information?"

This time was the old Aries and Pope who sighed and walked a step forward. He didn't look so happy and was looking for the words he needed.

"Not ever mortal knows or work with it, but the Gods..."

"I'm a goddess." Saori said, not angry but showing this time her rank between them. "You are going to explain something I should know? Something you never explained me?" Shion nodded a bit ashamed of this detail. "Our enemy has the lead over us. Great."

Those words were mostly to herself than for the Saints.

"I'm sorry. I never thought we needed this information."

"At least, explain me now, what happened with the Gods and the Black cosmos?"

"Well, they can use it freely." Shion smiled ignoring a bit the mistake the goddess did in called it Black and not Dark. "Their cosmos is stronger than ours and are purest. You, on the other hand, maybe will need training because you born as a human. I believe, lamentably, Hephaestus will not have this problem. He is using a vessel, yes, but the cosmos keeps being pure energy of this realm. He had use this cosmos of the Dark Dimension before and I'm afraid he will keep using it."

Athena couldn't understand, still, why this information never arrived to her. But this moment wasn't the time to scold them off or rant about it. She nodded as she understood all this. Saori needed to take the baton of leader and Goddess of the Military victory.

"Shaka, please go with Ikki and Hyoga and just let them know what danger can do this cosmos. For some reason you kept it in secret to low ranks, so keep it like this. Don't give them more information they need." the Virgo Saint did a small reverence to turn around and walk away from the room. "I would like to know why Hephaestus used this cosmos energy before."

"That, I don't remember." the oldest saint explained. "You see, living too much time doesn't mean my memory is the same. But, I know where to find it, for sure the Pope private library, and I will look for it immediately."

"I want to help, Shion. If there is no problem."

"Not at all, Saga. After all you were once Pope and you still Gemini Saint, you are in your right to this information." they both did a reverence. "We will come back as soon as possible. If you need us, you know where to find us."

The woman nodded to let them know they could go now and, without need to but still doing it, asking to keep all this in secret even to the highest rank. Only they could know about this. Shion and Gemini Saga left the room, and as well left Saori to rest a bit from all this. She needed time, think, and try to find Shiva's cosmos. She wanted to believed she hasn't lost her, not yet and not without using all the resources to stop this God and whatever he wanted to do.

For the oldest child of Phoenix Ikki, Helena, wasn't something new to know his father was going to a mission and what that meant. When they weren't family yet but Ikki send her letters and visit her time to time, he decided to explain in the most human possible way about his death that could happened any time. Of course, wasn't something easy to do, especially when the Holy War was so close to them. Helena knew it but his younger brother was lucky to be in time of peace, Ario was just a bit sad about the news.

"I will come back as soon as possible." Ikki smiled to the kids. "I know I said these days would be holidays, but this is important. And, your good dad Shaka will take care of you. Which means, as well, Aghora will be around."

They three were sitting down on the floor of the Virgo Temple entrance, while Shaka was standing up at his back. He chuckled.

"I'm not a babysitter, Ikki."

"But you are my friend, and legally Ario is your son too, which means I can throw him to you any time."

"No! Dad!" Ario was impressed. "Don't throw me! What if he doesn't catch me?! Dad Shaka has the eyes closed!"

Ikki chuckled to hold him.

"I'm not going to throw you literally, son, I meant I can make Shaka take care of you for some time. And he will. So, don't worry."

"Is it dangerous?" asked Helena a bit serious. "Will you really going to come back? You need to!"

The Phoenix Saint smiled as he placed the kid over his lap and nodded to Helena.

"I promise you, I will come back."

"But you said sometimes you can't keep promises. Are you sure?" Helena said, this time, showing more worrisome and some anxiety. "Ikki, please."

The fact that she called him by his name and not father as she used to be, made Ikki sighed of sadness. He knew exactly why, this young girl was still afraid of losing someone special from her, someone who take care of them and a father figure. He moved his hands to let her know to come close so he could hold her in a hug as well. Ikki kissed both of the kids on the forehead and promised, once again, he would come back. After all, was an easy mission. He already knew about the dangers of the possible cosmos that Hephaestus was using, as Shaka said, but Ikki still believed on himself and his best friend to do this mission without fear and doubt.

After this moment, Ikki stood up with both kids in each arm as he was strong enough. Virgo Shaka looks thoughtful about all this but smiled looking the kids a bit more relaxed than before.

"Hey, dad?" Ario smiled. "I think about it and... maybe would be fun if you throw me!"

The Bronze Saint couldn't hide his laugh and nodded after looking that Shaka did the same. Helena didn't want that fun, thank you, she said to then jump to the floor. Ikki held the young body and, being close enough to Shaka, just gave him a small push so Shaka hold it fast. But Ario didn't look happy.

"Throw me harder and higher!" he said moving his arms.

"What?" Ikki said without understand this son of him. "You are not a volleyball ball, kid. That's enough for today."

As if the sun or Ikki's energy hit him hard, Ario ' _melted'_ on Shaka's arm as he left his body fall totally to then do a weird moan. Ikki didn't have time to his son's tantrums so he gave two steps back.

"Fine! Shaka, throw him, just be careful."

"Are you sure?" Shaka asked looking how the kid was already smiling with the arms open.

"Hadn't you throw anything in your life? Think it is like a punch to me, in that way you will not fail your aiming."

Virgo Shaka nodded and fixed the kid on his arms to throw him better. He aimed, Helena closed her eyes without want to see that, even if it wasn't so long. And she was right. Shaka didn't exactly knew how much energy to use, making Ario fly higher than he thought. Ikki gasped as he moved backwards again and... fall. For a second his thoughts move fast to think that he was the most irresponsible father and idiot in the world.

As he hit the floor, he could see that Cygnus Hyoga was already icing the floor to can slide faster and, answering to Ikki's worries, catches the kid. Ario was now head down while Hyoga hold him from the hips and legs. But he wasn't scared.

"Yes! Again, again! Higher!"

"I don't need an DNA test." said Hyoga still a bit scared. "This is your son, totally."

Ikki stood up with a jump and looked at Shaka with a murder glimpse to his own soul.

"You said like a punch!"

"Not with the energy of a fucking punch, idiot!"

"Dad said a bad word!" Ario yelled pointing at him.

"Fine, fine. Sorry." Shaka sighed, trying to hide a smile.

Wasn't it fun for the kid? and he survived. That was enough for him.

"Ok, Ikki, if you finished practicing how to catch babies on the air, can we go now?" Hyoga said holding Ario in a better way. "They are waiting for us."

The Phoenix Saint, still angry, nodded to then receive a hug from both kids once again, and the Cygnus Saint smiled receiving the same.

"You take care of them, and don't throw him to Aghora." Ikki said as Shaka was walking at his side to the stairs.

"Don't worry, he is busy anyway, he decided to meditate." the owner of the temple smiled and pat his back. "You worry for your own life, they will be waiting for you and I'm not very good to give bad news."

"Don't ever say that." the young man sighed but nodded. "I will come back."

"Did you finish with your kisses?" Hyoga said fixing the Pandora Box at his back to then realise both of them looking at him as if he is going to fall by accident from the stairs. "You know what? I will wait for Ikki over there! Take your time. Bye, Shaka."

Ikki sighed and just chuckled with this. He was such an asshole. Now that he was going to go, his thoughts realised something.

"Hey, Shaka, by the way." he took the attention of the Gold Saint. "Does Shaina know about all this? She is one of the friends of Shiva."

"Oh, well, we decided not to tell her. We don't want her angry or anything, we are keeping this as close as we can." he smiled. "She came some minutes ago to ask me about Shiva but I didn't let her enter to the room. She just told me to say hello to her and that's all."

"I think is a good idea. Fine, then, that stupid duck is right. I need to go. Please take care of the kids."

"They are mine as well, so don't worry." Shaka placed his hands over Ikki's shoulder. "I ask you, Ikki, do not hurt Shiva. It still her body."

"I will try my best."

The Phoenix Saint pat his shoulder as well to then keep walking downstairs. Shaka didn't have other option but trust on him, after all, was one of his closest friends now and they both worried for each other. The Virgo Saint smiled; the best man for this mission was indeed Phoenix Ikki


	5. Chap o3

**_,_**

 ** _Notes:_** _Here I decided to explore a bit of some_ _hcs I have about the Black Saints and Hephaestus. It was fun to imagine all that! Let me know what you think about it. The whole idea was going to be used in other fanfic that I finally didn't write at all, so I'm glad I could use it finally somewhere._

* * *

 ** _._**

 ** _Chap oo3_**

The trip wasn't so long for Ikki, he was used to go often, almost three or four times every year, to keep the flowers alive on the grave of his beloved, however his best friend wasn't ready for this.

"Why I'm here?" Hyoga said as he laid himself on the edge of the boat, to at least look at the water. "It is too hot!"

"For the fifth time, Hyoga, you said you wanted to come, remember? The whole ' _Ikki needs another fighter, I'm cool_ ' thing?" Ikki sighed, a bit tired of the rant of his friend. "Now, please, shut up and let's try to finish this."

The Cygnus saint just looked at his friend as he was thinking his last death wish, but they felt how the boat stopped so suddenly. Ikki and Hyoga walked to the deck to find the captain looking at the island that was their destination.

"Aren't we going to come closer?"

Both saints saw how the captain arrived towards them and smiled as if nothing had happened.

"We are sorry, we can't. You see, there is a rule where the boats can't come closer anymore. There live some kind of pirates." he explained. "We don't want to have problems, especially since the morning. We had had some weird situations with the sea waves and some rocks appear out of nowhere. Maybe you pay us well but life worth more."

Ikki sighed thinking that lot of time passed since the last time he visited the Island. It wasn't that much but things change.

"Oh well... then we will need to use those boats..." Ikki pointed at the emergency ones. "You will wait us here, right?"

"Kido Company is my boss, so I guess yes." The captain laughed a bit as he walked away from them. "Good luck, you need it."

"He doesn't know who we are, right?" Hyoga chuckled. "Anyway, let's go."

The Phoenix nodded to move towards their Pandora Boxes, take them and use those boats he saw earlier. But, something wasn't right. Why would rocks appear out of nowhere? Why the tide looked out of control close to the Island? He couldn't worry much about it, though that didn't mean he wouldn't have it on his head for a while.

The movements of the small boat weren't the perfect ones to avoid fall on the water. The waves were stronger than Ikki remembered them, and indeed some rocks were showing their hard points, ready to hit them, in a way that looked more dangerous to come close to the bay. And then, an extra worry for the Phoenix Saint, his best friend didn't look so well.

"It is too hot." Hyoga said using his cosmos a bit.

"Hey, don't do that! They will perceive us very easy."

"How? Didn't you told me that the Black Saints weren't organized at all? I don't think they mind us here... plus you were their leader."

"As you heard with the captain, looks like they were organized after all. You don't call pirates to some group of idiots good for nothing. And, even if I were their leader once, maybe they will not see me so happy after you killed the four strongest ones and have me in your team!"

Hyoga just looked at him a bit angry. He was sure about it, about this going all well, and now looked like he was doubting. God damn, Ikki.

"Why?" the younger brother asked. "Why suddenly you think you aren't capable to make this?"

The friend didn't answer quickly as he jump out of the boat to put it closer to the sand.

"I'm totally capable. But, remember, we are going to fight to a God that, for what we know, was the main deity for those guys. And... I mean... they have Shiva now. What if she is the leader of the Black Saints because Hephaestus?"

"Are you stupid?! Why think Shiva as their leader?" Hyoga asked walking backwards while Ikki was placing the boat out the water. "She is a crazy psycho and those guys were even worse and..." but in that moment something stopped his walk.

He turned and jump backwards ready to fight. Five Black Saints were there, waiting. The Phoenix Saint came close and look at them. Four guys and a woman that looked very young and didn't have a mask but some paint over her face. Hyoga didn't know what to do, but Ikki just walked in front of them without fear.

"We need to see the leader of the Island."

"Who are you?" The woman asked.

"Looks like my name fade away... he is Hyoga the Cygnus Saint and I'm Ikki the Phoenix Saint..."

That was enough for them. One of the Black Saints jumped to throw a punch that, thanks to Cygnus's shield, didn't do much but hurt his hand. Hyoga gave back the punch to make him fall on the sand. Meanwhile, Ikki didn't wait to fight the other two Black Saints.

"Hō Yoku Ten Shō!"

The fire pushed them to the air and fell down from the sky, one receiving a terrible hit with some of the rocks. As Ikki was standing himself up, Hyoga was already fighting with the other woman. Her movements were strong enough to give him a good fight. The Phoenix Saint, however, moved faster seeing how this woman used the same shield of her opponent to take a high jump.

"Eagle Toe Flash!"

Cygnus Hyoga didn't see that coming as he tried to use, once again the shield, which, both saints knew, would be useless. But the Black Saint never touched his enemy. Hyoga, closed his eyes waiting for the hit, and, because didn't feel it, opened them to find Ikki in front of him. The Phoenix Saint laughed because of this and how the woman fell on the sand yelling in pain.

The kick did damage to Ikki on his right shoulder to crack a bit the armour, but his fist went directly to the right knee of the woman, breaking his leg in two in such painful and amazing way.

"Fuck." Ikki sighed finally holding his shoulder.

"What did you do?!" Hyoga asked, to quickly held the hands of this woman to freeze them as his friend answered.

"What? I just stopped her attack! Every attack has a weak spot." he chuckled. "Marin told me hers and I told him one mine."

"Marin?" the poor Cygnus Saint look confused. "Why Marin? Why are you so stupid to give your weak point?"

"She is my friend, I trust her."

"Your friend?"

"Just shut up, you are losing our time, idiot." Ikki quickly held the part of the chest armour from the other warrior and removed it from her body. "Now, you don't deserve this, piece of shit. And you will tell me where your leader is."

The woman sighed and panicked when felt Ikki's hand on her neck. Not to asphyxiated her or kill her but enough to make her feel without air for a while to then, to let her talk, breath again. She nodded, ready to help them, or better say save herself.

"He is in the main volcano."

"In the volcano?" Hyoga was curious about this.

"Today you only make questions, don't you?" Ikki chuckled. "How someone can be inside the volcano? Tell me the truth or I will throw you to the real volcano."

"It is true! In the north side of the island there is a cave. Now is open, you can enter to the volcano. He is there." Phoenix Ikki held her from the neck once again, and he didn't need to ask much. "His cosmos made our armours shine! He is our God!"

"So, that's why." Ikki nodded to then give her a hit.

"Bro!"

"She is just unconscious, we don't need her to tell the others. Don't worry." he fixed once again his shoulder, moaning a bit. "Hey, man..."

"Yeah." Hyoga didn't need to hear it, as he freeze a bit Ikki's shoulder to help him with the pain. "Then, we should keep going? Are you sure?" Ikki nodded as both of them keep walking now. "Great, inside a vol-"

But the sudden movements under his feet interrupted Hyoga, as the earthquake began to increase. They could see how new rocks appear under the sea to the surface, how the tide was moving out of control. And how the volcano began to spill some of the red-hot lava.

"Please, tell me that's not the main volcano."

"Fine." He smiled. "But you know the answer already."

Without much will to go inside a hot volcano, and realising his cold cosmos would be need, Hyoga didn't say much but ' _трахаться_ ' which didn't mean something nice at all. Those two Saints kept their way to the mission. It wasn't hard to realise that, after all, they were fighting a God.

Many people know the Greek Myths, they know about the Gods who helped humanity and those who wanted to destroyed it in some way or another. However, in the Myth Era, it was a sin to talk ill about the Gods and Goddesses of the Olympus. That's why people wrote about them and, when the time made them be nothing more but fictional characters of old times, could tell to everyone those stories of heroes, villains, gods and creatures. The story of Hephaestus was between those others.

God of the fire, metallurgy, even art, Hephaestus was the son of Hera and Zeus, but some versions said he was the son only of Hera who, seeing how Zeus got a daughter by his own, decided to do the same. Of course, things didn't happen as she wished and this new god was physically horrible. This marked his destiny to learn about metallurgy and be used to quieten the other Gods and marry him with the most beautiful of them all. Since the moment he born, Hephaestus was humiliated in one way or other but always played back. We all know what he did to Aphrodite and her lover, what he did to the same Hera to go back to the Olympus. But not everyone knew exactly what he did to Athena when the Goddess of Wisdom said no to his purpose and ran away from almost being rape by this God.

Hephaestus, before this happened, created the armours for the armies of each God and for themselves. Putting great attention and detail to the three most powerful and his beloved Athena. He never created one for himself, just a pair of gloves and helmet to work better. He believed in the peace and preferred to create beauty and art than create war. Somehow, he was a good God, but not perfect one. After all he did, all the attention and time he gave to the Gods and to Athena, he got rejected from her and that broke his heart and part of his mind. With anger and fury, he walked down to earth and stayed by his own in a continent with volcanos. He lived there thinking how to attack back to that Goddess who couldn't understand his love and devotion. He then realised he wouldn't be the one who attacks but others.

As the days passed and more earthquakes arrived to the zone, the volcano explode time to time, the people began to pray to the Gods who, busy from other problems between them, didn't pay attention. I think they may regret it later, as Hephaestus was working hard day and night. The God of Fire was creating once more the armours he did to Athena, one by one created them without rest and using the same materials. But that wasn't enough for him, he needed more power for those metals, if not, what would be the point to have the same level than the lowest rank of the Saints?

It happened one night when the fire was brighter than before. Hephaestus, with all his energy and power, began to destroy the protection between this world and the Dark Dimension, taking its energy to use it on the armours, given them not just the bright black colour they have but a power over the Bronze Saints and, if moved to the other Dimension, could be compared to the Gold Saints. Every time he opened this dimension and worked on the armours, the earthquakes become stronger, the volcanos couldn't be controlled. The sea began to flow the earth, the earthquakes destroyed buildings, the lava and the ashes began to make the one-day green land something that nobody could live in. But was too late when the Gods turned to see their creations crying and asking for mercy.

The God of War, Ares, was sent to stop this massacre. Maybe as part of his revenge as how Hephaestus humiliated him, was the first one asking for this mission. Maybe he wasn't strong or had armour and weapons, but Hephaestus new this place and his tool to be able to fight back. He would be able to win to Ares but the three main Gods stopped him. With the waves of Poseidon, the lighting from heaven of Zeus and the earthquakes of Hades were possible to keep the God under the Olympus. It is known he couldn't go out of it. Zeus gave his people to Athena, the Lemurians, but the Black Armours disappeared as some of Hephaestus followers kept it to use them. It is known that in some way they forgave Hephaestus, in part, because he did the coffin for Hades. That's the last thing it is known from Hephaestus.

The Old Aries Saint waited a bit while Saori Kido was finishing reading the book he found. She was just too tired of this, learning new things she should know before because one God, this God, decided to come to her Sanctuary and begin whatever it was. They didn't know if this was a war or something else but wasn't something peaceful at all.

"Hephaestus." said finally Athena closing the book and giving a deep sigh. "He should be glad I don't remember much of my first life. I would slap him in the moment he presented himself." she stood up to give the book back to Shion and stayed at his side. "We need to know why he decided to come just now and how to stop him. Do you have any news from Ikki and Hyoga?"

"No, Athena." Gemini Saga answered quickly as he gave a step forward. "If you wish, I could go and..."

"It is the last time I say it, Saga. You can't go. We need to trust on them." Saori nodded to herself, as she wanted to be totally sure of her own words. "You should help in calm down those who felt the cosmos of Hephaestus. I heard some of them want to ask about it and, of course, not all Gold Saints know how to talk with people."

"Did Deathmask do something?" Saga asked worried mostly to himself. "Fine, I will help in that then. If you need anything, let me know. Excuse me." he did the reverence that was now a habit and went out of the room.

Shion and Athena kept in silence for some seconds, as they both were thinking about the problems and solutions for the fact that Hephaestus showed himself in such way hours before. But their thoughts were interrupted as the doors opened once again with Capricorn Shura and Scorpio Milo on the other side. They didn't look very happy.

"Miss Athena?" Shura, as Milo, did the reverence that, once again, was bothering to Saori. "We have a small problem."

The hot temperature wasn't helping much to the Siberian man. Cygnus Hyoga couldn't help with his cosmos because, as his best friend said, would alarm the enemies about them, so he was suffering thinking how did Ikki survive such place. But their cosmos was different, their trainings were in such extreme places with the exact contrary weather. And the fact that even the air was hot and some small earthquakes kept going, was such a pain.

But as Cygnus Hyoga kept walking, he saw how Phoenix Ikki stopped for a second.

"Hey, brother, are you ok?" he asked. "Sorry, the water and everything went with the boat when I throw that guy." Ikki came close to hold Hyoga's shoulder. "We can rest a bit if you need to."

"No, I'm ok, really." Hyoga smiled seeing that Ikki kept that ' _fatherly/big brother_ ' care to others. "I just need to catch my breath."

Phoenix Ikki moved around as he was looking around to then ask to Hyoga to sat as he went for something. For the Russian man wasn't a problem to rest a bit but now was curious to see Ikki arriving with a branch of some kind of tree.

"Here, put some of this on your mouth and chew it." he said as he did to show him it was totally fine. "They have water on the roots. Here rains very little so this sucker, literally, keep all the water there."

Hyoga, without waiting more, did as he said. Almost throwing the root out of his mouth.

"Taste like shit."

"Sorry, next time I will put some flavour on it. Do you like grapple or lime?" he chuckled. "C'mon duck, just survive."

The big brother gave him some more of the root so he could carry on. Ikki looked tired as well but not as much as Hyoga, he was used to this, even if he never had the volcano as active as they did. He looked around to see if there would be enemies around and big was his surprise that they weren't there but he could feel their cosmos, as if they came closer to the cave the Black Saint told them.

Both birds decided to keep walking to their mission, and that's when Ikki decided to change the topic a bit.

"By the way, Hyoga?" he asked to have his attention as they kept chewing for water. "Back then in the Sanctuary, you didn't recognize Shiva. Why?"

Hyoga stopped for a second to then keep walking as this question took him by surprise.

"I don't know what you talking about."

"You had a hangover, and you said Shiva was horrible. Which makes me thing; Hephaestus was known to be ugly as fuck, but he is on Shiva's body and once you told me Shiva have a really beautiful face so..."

"It was the hangover, maybe I need glasses. I don't know, man."

"You need glasses, we had discussed that before, but that doesn't mean you couldn't recognize Shiva. Then, what happened?"

The Cygnus Saint stopped for a moment as Ikki crossed his arms to listen their answer.

"I just... I can see the real people. I mean, they real being."

The older Saint was almost going to ask what that meant, it was just too weird for him. He knew Shaka somehow had an ability to find things different, even the same student Aghora had reach a point to feel cosmos very specific. But Hyoga wasn't a Virgo Saint or student of one of them. But at this moment, Hyoga quickly jumped to hold him and both fall on the floor.

"Great." said Hyoga spilling the roots as they both stood up and found themselves in front of three enemies.

"I will take two of them, I have more energy. Just don't use too much of your cosmos."

"But your shoulder?"

The Phoenix didn't hear at all to jump to the fight. He didn't want to lost time but didn't as well to use his attacks on them. He kicked one of them as the other two jumped towards Hyoga.

"Diamond dust!"

The cosmos of the Cygnus Saint didn't have enough humidity around to control it and make cold air, cold as he needed, so thanks to this he just pushed them away so he could have more space to fight. Ikki quickly moved, trying to dodge the other black saint, holding his arm and breaking it when he got tired of this so, quickly as he could, stop one of the other enemies.

"You are mine, asshole." he didn't wait at all to hit him in the face, but this other man did the same.

Hyoga was using his shield and dodging. In his mind he tried to look around to find point to use at his favour, but in the same time he wanted to exhausted this man. Which wasn't a great of a plan when he almost fell and could only use the body of his enemy to hold himself and use this to push him to the direction he was going; down a cliff. He just heard the sound of the hit and moved fast enough to help his friend.

They couldn't say this, but somehow, they enjoyed it. Fighting side by side and back to back, Hyoga using the shield to protect Ikki and the Phoenix using even the tail of his armour to hurt the fist that was going to the face of his friend. Their enemies didn't have other alternative but lost and fall on the ground unconscious, closer to death than alive.

"Well, that was better than I expected." smiled Hyoga. "Shit."

Suddenly more of the enemies appear. Ikki and Hyoga saw each other with a smile as they knew they could keep going. As they were going to give a step forward, it wasn't necessary at all.

"Thunder Claw!"

The enemies had an electric shock from all their body, to the head to the feet. Ophiuchus Shaina didn't wait any longer to throw two bags to the Bronze Saints to then fall on their enemies. With that shock, wasn't necessary to do much as she just give them some quickly kicks here and there to make them collapse as the others. She sighed to remove her mask and look angry at those two.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" said Ikki angry as he gave the bag to Hyoga, making him fall to the ground as well.

"You are welcome."

"No, don't use sarcasm with me, woman." Ikki and her were face to face. "Answer me, what are you doing here? This is our mission!"

"Get away, you stink!" she pushed him a bit.

"You smell super nice, idiot!" he pushed her a bit as well.

They both held each other, to then receive a hit on their heads. One of the bags was throw by Hyoga who was tired of this and just waved at them.

"Could you stop? Thank you." he said finally. "Can we go before these guys wake up or something? I don't care, Shaina helped us, Ikki, so just move and she will explain us on the way."

Ophiuchus Shaina smiled to Ikki to then wear her mask and push him once again, this time with the bag on her hands.

"There is enough water for you two, your forgot them on the boat." she kept walking towards Hyoga as she fixed her hair in a pony tail. "Now let's go."

Hyoga was right, so Phoenix Ikki decided just to say "愚かな" and "vaffanculo" to Shaina but in a low voice as he joined them. And, he couldn't be mean, after all they had water and he didn't need to worry to feed his friend with more roots and he was save from dehydration, that was important. They rest in their way; walking but not talking as they reached the north side of the volcano, still fighting with the earthquakes.

But Ikki really needed and want to know what Shaina was doing there.

"Who had the great idea to only arrive with two Bronze saints?" she asked back. "You are fighting against a god, idiots."

"Hey, don't call us idiots." Ikki said angry again. "I'm the only one who call idiot to Hyoga."

"Oh, sweet bro, thanks." he wasn't very happy. "But, how do you know is a God?"

"Shiva is my best friend; do you really expect me to just accept your bullshit and go to my cabin and sleep?" she explained removing once again the mask to leave it in one of the bags as the hot couldn't let her use it more time. "I went to see her but Shaka didn't let me so I followed him around. I heard everything when he was discussing with Aghora. Shiva is being used and nobody in the Sanctuary knows this?"

"We know, Aghora knows, and the Gold Saints know." Ikki answered. "So, yeah, isn't like a super-secret. Especially because for sure many people felt that blast of the cosmos."

"Exactly as I felt Hyoga's one." Shaina sighed. "You should be more careful."

"Did you come to fight us or with us?" Hyoga knew she was right. "Look, we just came here to help Athena and the Sanctuary. Ok, maybe Ikki did it to have some extra laid points with Shaka but..."

"You idiot, that's enough with the stupid jokes!"

Hyoga didn't stop the giggle as Ikki held him speaking in Japanese very much nice things... not nice things. Shaina just sighed and kept walking, not before stop and find something interesting.

"Hey, monkeys! What's this?"

The birds moved quickly, not before Hyoga was pushed and he needed to quickly stand up. Ikki smiled to this and pointed.

"Obviously, it is a cave, you blind?" Shaina was almost going to hit him but he waved. "Never mind, this is the entrance. Here is Hephaestus."

"Really?"

"Look, I don't know why the Volcano had somehow a house inside, and in this moment, I don't care. Just let's be careful, I'm sure he isn't alone." Hyoga and Shaina nodded as they kept walking but Ikki was behind. "Go, I will hide the bags."

The other two saints run inside the cabin, as the Phoenix Saint was using his cosmos just for a second to do something important.

Athena had too many problems to now worry about Shaina disappearing. She knew something like this would happened, and she knew was with the Cygnus and Phoenix Saints. Capricorn Shura and Scorpio Milo came back to their temples minutes ago after give this news of Shaina fighting with some guards, but now Gemini Saga entered to take her attention. Saori Kido was getting tired of this. She really wanted to be alone for a second, wasn't asking too much, she just wanted to rest her mind and body and let all this painful heart-breaking feeling go out of her system. She was a leader in this moment, she needed to show strength.

"Miss Athena, I received..."

"Please, Saga, just go."

Her tears began to show again as she covered her face. Gemini Saga was a bit impressed and didn't know what to do about this. He realised they were alone, so didn't wait to close the doors and stay there as Saori kept crying out her pain. It wasn't minutes after that, she cleaned her face and looked how Saga just looking at the floor.

"Sorry, sorry."

"I understand, don't worry. Do you need more time?"

"No, well, maybe but, you needed to tell me something." Saga nodded coming close taking a handkerchief and giving it to her. "Thank you."

"I received news from Ikki, he decided to notice me about everything. They found out where Hephaestus is and, by surprise, Ophiuchus Shaina is with them. She heard everything from Shaka and Aghora." the Gemini Saint crossed his arms. "I think is better. It seems that she didn't say anything else to anyone, and she will help them. It is fine, having a Silver Saint with them."

"Yes, it is. Thanks for the news."

"You are welcome, Athena." he did the reverence to move to the door but stopped there. "And, Saori?" he said. "I will close the doors, you can stay some time with yourself."

Saori Kido smiled at him and nodded. He smiled and gave a friendly nod as well to then go out of there and let the Goddess remember she was a human after all.


	6. Chap o4

**_,_**

* * *

 ** _,_**

 ** _Chap oo4_**

Cygnus Hyoga could feel the change of temperature. If outside was hot and dry, inside was even worse with a humidity he never felt before. He could feel his skin was viscous, his armour felt heavier and the breathing wasn't enough to oxygenate himself. He remembered that battle on Asgard, but this was extreme. He bet that Merak Beta Hagen wouldn't stand this. He could see it because Ophiuchus Shaina needed to fix her hair once again and was sweating, Phoenix Ikki had some of his hair adhered on his skin, even if he was the one who looked better.

The path was a tunnel of rocks with a light in the end, but they decided not to make any joke about the death in here. Especially when the earthquakes made them stop and their hearts feel in the same way. All that stress and painful anxiety finished when the three Saints found the exit that was as shinny as the same sun.

"This is... new." Ikki said looking at the scene

There was a whole room under the volcano, as the ceiling was lava moving and spilling its gases, only was on the back that the lava fell down to some kind of pool that made the dangerous liquid flowing around the room. They could see not much as some columns were blocking their vision, they worked as a wall to don't fall, to later found some details as a table, tools and another big pond with some black liquid on it. But the smell was something that they could perceive.

"What's that?" Hyoga asked covering his nose. "It's disgusting."

"Hadn't you smell burnt blood?" Ikki smiled. "Or just blood left outside under the sun for long time?"

"You are scaring me."

"Great, now let's keep walking down there. I can see someone."

The two males didn't wait to keep descending downstairs, as they were close to the walls of that cave or room. But as they moved they could see more of it. For sure was a forge with tools, oven and materials around to create, as they thought, armours. And then Shaina spotted. Between both pools, the one of lava and the one of black liquid there was a throne made of iron with different parts of armours, she could find some similar to those she was wearing and some of the Gold Saints. And there she was, Peacock Shiva sitting there with both arms on the air as if the throne didn't have place to rest them and closed eyes as she was sleeping.

Ophiuchus Saint didn't wait any longer to almost run through the stairs arriving to a platform where the columns weren't anymore, almost on the half of the room. She could see everything now and, for the same reason, was easy to stop.

"Puttana!" Ikki said, this time to let Shaina hear.

Thanks to the use of her language, she turned realising what she did. And wasn't hard to understand why it was a mistake as enemies suddenly appear. More Black Saints to fight against. There was no sense to hide their cosmos anymore, especially for Hyoga who was looking at Shiva as their real being, at least the one that was possessing her body. Hephaestus was smiling greatly as he was waiting on the throne.

"Hō Yoku Ten Shō!" Ikki quickly hit two enemies that were jumping towards Shaina and fell very close to the edge. "You are welcome."

"Shut up and fight!"

Hyoga didn't wait to throw his shield to an enemy, making him fall to the lava and, having his shield back, keep with the fighting. Many enemies were around them, they could kick and hit most of them but they kept coming. The dodge and attacks between Ikki and Hyoga began individual to then finish, once again in a work team that not many had before. But, mostly, Phoenix Ikki could feel how his brother was tired because this wasn't his normal ambient to fight. Shaina kept going downstairs as she fought others, without realising if they were defeating or not. Her anxious movements made her fall once. She was worried as Ikki was for Hyoga, for her friend.

But both birds kept fighting, till Ikki felt how Hyoga fell on the floor, still, somehow, fighting with his legs. The big brother moved as fast as he could to almost jump over Hyoga and hold an enemy that was going to hurt him. Thanks to this he slipped on the edge falling directly to the floor.

"Brother!" the Cygnus Saint moved as fast as he could but Ikki was already falling. "Aurora Thunder Attack!"

The enemies around him that didn't let him move, flied on the air as he jumped directly to watch what happened.

"Fuck you!" Ikki yelled as he, somehow, managed to push the enemy to the lava and use that energy to fall in the floor. "My fucking shoulder!"

He moved rolling on the floor to stand up even if he knew for sure his shoulder wasn't in the place it should be. Thanks to this, Ikki could see how Hephaestus opened his eyes and looked at him. Those eyes were now so different.

As well, he noticed the throne had a rail directly to the black pond.

"Claw Rush!" Ophiuchus Shaina held one of her enemies to smash his body on the floor and fall in better ways than Ikki did.

As she run towards the Phoenix to help him stand up, Hyoga could notice new enemies arriving to them, and these ones were different. Freezing part of the stairs made him slide easy to arrive at the point those two were around.

"What's that?" asked Shaina.

Eight warriors were coming close to them, but they were completely made of gold. They looked as automata, with armours in but no face, something similar to the masks of the Amazons. With the light of the lava and the candles around, their skin was shining.

"Thunder Claw!" The electricity went thru their bodies but didn't go out, they didn't even move as if nothing happened. "What?"

It wasn't till all of them moved their hands and gave all that energy. Now Shaina understood how her enemies felt every time she used that attack. Ikki and Hyoga didn't enjoy either the bolts of electricity around their bodies.

"Are you ok?" Hyoga quickly held Ikki.

"Saori should pay us!"

"Bring them." at least, finally, Shiva's voice could be heard.

The room was divided in three levels. The one of the pool of lava of the back, the throne in the middle and, finally, where these Saints were, just having as division the black pond were the Golden warriors drag them on the floor to be in front of that. The Ophiuchus Saint tried to came close but those automata stopped her pass as they were a wall.

In front of them, the level tall enough to let the Saints observe, the Silver Saint and now vessel of a God stood up, let them saw why the throne was there, why the smell and the trails. Both of his wrist was cut up and letting blood drain drop by drop.

"What are you doing?!" Shaina quickly, once again, run but the warriors didn't let her move more. "Shiva!"

"You must be the Ophiuchus Saint. I see, very close of this man, don't you?"

"She is a woman! She is my friend!"

"Of course, I forgot. Shiva is both, but in the moment is nothing." he smiled. "Now shut up and listen." he said to take some serious face once again. "Sorry for my warriors, they should be more but I used them centuries ago to make a special shield for Athena." He sighed. "It is just amazing how the masks aren't even a law now, you are losing respect to your Goddess. Calling her by a mortal name, now this. Humans are so different than before. I gave my warriors to her, and you are just corrupted."

Shaina couldn't do anything else but give steps backwards to be close to the other Saints. Hyoga placed one hand on her shoulder, which she removed quickly. She didn't want pity or hugs, they were useless now.

"I must admit, you are brave Saints." Hephaestus smiled once again. "Arriving here, to the heart of my forge and inside a volcano, just with a broken shoulder."

"Fuck you, asshole." Ikki chuckled.

"So respectful to your Gods. Anyway, I think you shouldn't die. Not yet, not in this way." he sighed as he was sad and disappointed. "I didn't want to hurt any human, I don't like the war. But you are just being annoying, you are stopping my plan. Don't you understand what I'm doing? We need this army! Athena alone has her own duty, I should be able to help her." Hephaestus looked proud as Shiva would do. "My own army, hand by hand with the Saints. We could bring peace once again."

"Peace?" Hyoga interrupted quickly. "Those Black Saints aren't peaceful at all! They are selfish, they are psychopaths who only care about their death counting. If you give them armours, you will bring war everywhere."

"Yes, for sure you should die. You don't understand anything. They will obey me as I'm their God." Hephaestus was now angry as he moved his hand, showing the blood falling. "I will let you die as what you are. Warriors! Kill them!"

The automata woke up suddenly, coming close to them, as the Peacock Saint took sit once again. Three of them follow the Saints, the other five stood up waiting for their orders.

"Plan?" Hyoga asked to Ikki in Russian, a language hard to understand for the God and even Shaina.

"Yeah." the saint smiled looking at the female warrior.

Ikki said a simple word twice. In two different languages. Hephaestus realised that, because the vessel he chose, didn't have memory of those words. He decided not to show his anxious doubt, trusting on those warriors he did time ago. The movements weren't fast as comparation with the Saints, but they were strong and tall enough to be an enemy hard to destroy. At least, that's what their creator thought.

The Saints were moving backwards, with their arms up as they were defending themselves but, in any moment, would attack. Then the plan was easy. As they were thinking in the same way, as their minds were together, but not mirroring each other as those automata, the three Saints moved quickly enough to jump over their enemies, even using them as platform to push more than once. As the warriors were turning, the Saints were ready.

"Diamond dust!"

"Lighting Rampage!"

"Hō Yoku Ten Shō!"

The mild cold air of Hyoga wasn't enough to freeze the enemy, he was tired and the hot humid scene didn't help him. But, he didn't want to freeze it. The enough energy of the attack made the enemy fly and, in a quickly way, fall on the lava.

Hephaestus opened his eyes as he tried to follow the three attacks.

The female saints didn't use her electricity but an attack so fast with cosmos on her right arm that hit over and over the enemy to push them more and more to finally fly on the air and, with a smile on her face, the Ophiuchus gave a last hit to make him fall as his enemy.

"What?!" Hephaestus didn't wait any longer. "Warriors! Sacrifice!" He quickly stood up.

Only one had problems as his arm couldn't receive a shock of cosmos, he knew the consequences. But the hit was enough to make the automaton be in the edge, so the Phoenix just needed to give a last kick.

The warriors were destroyed, but the other five were running behind the throne. As a bizarre image, one by one jump to the pool of lava that was behind them. The Saints came close once again, perplexed of this weird manoeuvre.

"I know Athena will forgive me, I do it for the peace of this world!" his hands moved quickly towards them. "Anvil call!"

With this attack, the warriors felt a push. The Bird Saints just pushed themselves some steps backwards. But, Ophiuchus Shaina yelled as she fled on the air to finish on one of the walls.

"Phoenix, Cygnus." Shiva's voice called them. "Why don't you move?"

"What do you mean?" Cygnus asked curious.

"Shaina!" Ikki quickly yelled. "Do not remove your armour! You will fall on the lava!"

"Do you think I will do it? Stupid idiot!"

Hephaestus laughed a bit as low his hands.

"So, you know it."

"You created the armours, you can control them." Ikki sighed worried.

"That's impossible." Cygnus looked at his clothes. "Why aren't we moving?"

"Who cares. Let's do it, Hyoga." Ikki smiled to hold his hand. "Let's use your stupid name."

The eyes of the Cygnus Saint sparkled a bit and smiled as both were decided to high their cosmos as they could.

"You will hurt me? To my vessel?" Hephaestus looked a bit happy. "Do it then, do it and kill me."

Cygnus and Phoenix ran towards their enemy, even if he tried once again the 'Anvil Call' attack. This just made them stop a second and, in the next one, remove their cloths from their bodies except for pieces that covered his arms.

"Deneb on Fire!"

The hot air moved on spiral causing a fire ring, on the middle there was a cold air as if was covered by it. Where they meet each other, could be heard the sparkle sound of explosions because the change of temperature.

The hit was impressing. The ice made his body tremble but with the change of something hot around it was a mixture of pain and claustrophobia as Hephaestus couldn't move. He felt the skin burning in two different ways till the end when the cold covered him and freeze parts of his mortal body.

"Something went wrong." Hyoga said worried.

Shiva was now surrounded by ice, and they saw her skin burnt. He had pain, and Shaina could feel the cosmos of Shiva yelling as he felt what was before his body. That was stopped when Hephaestus just looked at them. Phoenix Ikki could notice how the ice began to crack and melt.

"Hōō Genmaken!"

With this last attack, her head went back and kept looking at the nothing as slowly the ice fell down.

"You are hurting Shiva!" Shaina cried. "Stop!"

"In her mind, there is no Shiva. It is that piece of shit God." Ikki turned to look at Shaina. "Don't worry."

"Don't worry." that voice was different now.

The Phoenix Saint didn't believe it as he looked at Shiva's body once again. At least the blood stopped for some seconds, but Hephaestus held the ice on his hand and moved quickly to cut his wrists once again.

"What are you doing? You are hurting yourself, Shiva!" Shaina couldn't understand and that made her stop thinking in what to do for her own safety.

The Bird Saints didn't know what to do, their options were zero and they could see this.

"I'm a God." the voice was a mix of Shiva's and a darker and deeper one, old and rust. "God of fire!" Slowly, the burn marks began to become stronger in some parts of his face and neck and, in the same moment, his hands turned on fire. "You and I can destroy this body without worrying." quickly his hands stood up over the air and his eyes changed to black. "When I finish my duty, this body will not be necessary!"

"Chariot of Fire!"

The cosmos energy was so immense the earthquakes began once again. In the top of his head Hephaestus had a spiral of fire that was turning faster and faster every time, and they could see how it expanded in such way they saw through it, but not to see behind. There was a black spot without light or anything, something strange that the eye could see and in the same time it couldn't. The energy spilling from both sides of this portal, a pitch black in essence, moved towards the two ponds swirling around and making them having some kind of bridge. Such a deep darkness that somehow hypnotised the Saints. Except Shaina, who was yelling for her friend.

That was more than enough. The Ophiuchus armour began to shake as well as Shaina was removing it. Ikki and Hyoga could see her fall to the lava and just ran, knowing their timing was a failure to save her. But, Shaina didn't fall on the sure death.

She closed her eyes feeling the arms around and how they rolled on the floor to be left there, as quickly this new body moved and throw something to the God in front of them. Two seals with the bless of Athena fell on his hands and the spiral of fire began to stop.

"You arrived too fast to this world but looks like I arrived too late to this moment."

Both brothers saw what happened in those seconds. As Shaina was falling, Lotus Aghora arrived levitating to hold her and made both fall on the floor. His quickly movement discovered his face, a cloth was used for protection, as he threw the gifts from the same Athena.

"Too late indeed." said Hephaestus, still with black eyes and smoke on his hands. "That was enough energy."

"You know? I'm used to be the one who calms down Shiva and clean her mess." Aghora smiled as he came close. "So, I will ask once again. Leave the body of my sister, right now."

Hephaestus laughed with this. A mortal giving him orders like this.

The God quickly removed the seals from the hands to throw them and didn't wait to control another armour. This time, Aghora felt the shake around his body in such uncomfortable way he, as simple as that, throw his armour at his side. The beautiful Lotus armour was now just that, a statue of an open flower. The God of fire and metallurgy fell on his knees and looked confused to this man.

"You are using a mortal body, you are draining her blood, which I will never forgive you. Do you expect to have energy?" Aghora looked so sure of himself, he came close to Shaina to help her stand up. "You even forget, right?"

"Forget what?" Hephaestus asked as he tried to sit again on his throne.

"You control only your armours, the ones you created. I guess you fixed once the Lotus Armour, but you didn't create it. There is no Lotus Constellation, you stole it." Aghora sighed. "But will take too much time to explain you. Now, give me my sister back."

The God stood up and moved slowly to downstairs, being in front of the Lotus Saint and at his back the black pond. His eyes were totally black without iris but Aghora could feel Hephaestus was looking at him, he felt the pain as well. With this distraction, as the God let Shiva talk for a second with her cosmos, he took a knife from his clothes and placed it on his arms once again.

Lotus Aghora gave a step forwards, but seeing how the edge touched the skin, stopped. He didn't remove his attention from the sharp weapon.

"If you hurt her more, I will make you suffer."

"You don't understand? She is a sacrifice for everything. Her blood is needed, that's how you repair armours... and bodies." Hephaestus left the knife close to the verge of the pool and smiled. "You will not hurt your sister, do you?"

Cygnus Hyoga, as he was helping to Phoenix Ikki to walk, realised didn't have much energy. But, leaving his brother behind, stood up to come close and help Aghora. He didn't expect the hand of the tall man stopping him. The Silver Saint looked calmed now, Hyoga could feel his already known peaceful cosmos once again.

"Go and rest. Take care of Ikki."

"But, Aghora, you..."

"As I said, I always clean Shiva's mess." he smiled, and Hyoga could just do the same and move quickly to be at side of his brother and Shaina. "Now, looks like you will not stop by your own. Don't worry, I have a better plan."

Hephaestus chuckled as he turned to see the pool of lava. His hand on the air make another earthquake appear, this time making the lava overflow the pool.

"What if I kill them first?"

"You can't! Shiva would never let you." Shaina yelled.

"I'm not your friend!"

The lava began to move as his energy increased and moved as a projectile towards the three Saints. Using the armours wasn't an option for Shaina who couldn't control it again, meanwhile the other two used quickly to hold and protect her with their own. But that wasn't necessary.

"Om!"

Ikki and Hyoga were hugging to Shaina, waiting the hot burn and, as nothing happened, they raised up their heads again. Lotus Aghora was standing in front of them, with his hands as his master would do. Using the Virgo Armour.

"I think Shaka knows you are here." Hyoga said serious.

"Shaka looks better on it!" Ikki yelled as he kept hugging Shaina, to then left her. "And don't you ever say anything about this."

"Thanks anyway." the female sighed and looked at this new Armour.

Hephaestus looked surprised as this happened.

"How did you know I can't control the Gold Armours?!"

"Oh, really?" Aghora smiled. "I didn't, you just told me."

The God showed his fury once again making the lava flood more and a harder earthquake. He never expected to fight against Athena in such way, having warriors like these humans in front of him. His cosmos began to burn in a way that the burn marks appear one by one and the blood began to drip faster. Lotus Aghora couldn't handle this anymore and he tried to move closer to stop his sister, but the God had enough.

The blood dripped quickly over the black pond as Hephaestus opened Shiva's arm as if wasn't more than just a dead body already.

"The healing will be done and you can't stop me, doesn't matter I can't see them. Doesn't matter I can't see my new armours."

"You hurt my sister." Aghora began to burn his cosmos as well as he placed both hands in front of his face in a pray manner. "I will make you pay for everything!"

Hephaestus moved the knife to the other arm ready to open it and let the blood split, but a wave of energy stopped him.

Lotus Aghora, now using the Virgo Cloth, was levitating with both eyes opened and letting his cosmos burn in such way that the same lava began to move away from him, the rocks rose up and the air was dancing around him.

"You took a life as nothing, you say love peace but don't care about pain." Aghora's face looked calmed but something in his voice was with fury. "You had use so much Dark energy that you can't control yourself now. And, after all, you hurt my sister and family. Don't worry, I will put you out of her body... even if I need to use all my cosmos!"

The blue eyes of the Saint blinked to show a yellow energy emanate of them. It was like flames out of his eyes, in the same way that Shiva's, but this was white and stronger.

"You can't do anything against me!" Hephaestus yelled ready to fight once again. "I'm a God!"

Aghora's mouth began to move as fast as he could, reciting mantras and words that mixed in such way that, in some seconds, it heard like thousands of voices. The other saints could feel the energy around and there is where they saw.

"Volcano eruption!"

The hand of the god threw a fist full of fire that kept moving with energy enough to cut the air around it. It was precisely to Aghora's heart, if it wasn't because Phoenix Saint and his armour moved fast enough to receive the whole hit and being throw away.

"Brother!" Hyoga quickly held him as he saw how his armour was broken and there was blood.

"Fuck. Protect Aghora! He need to finish the exorcism!"

"Volcano eruption!"

The Cygnus Saint didn't wait any longer as he run, making the armour paste to his body in every step, towards the same danger.

"Diamond Dust!"

The clash of energy made another earthquake appear, this time winning more time as Hyoga was using his energy. But it was a God and a Silver Saint, so didn't spend more time as the fire reached Hyoga doing the same they did to his brother.

"You are so stubborn!" Hephaestus was ready for a new attack as Shaina was now in front of him. "Volca-" he threw a gasp.

Aghora closed his eyes and, one by one, separated the fingers of the right hand

"This is not your body." he said as he moved the left arm fast, as he was throwing something.

Ophiuchus Shaina could notice there was another wave of energy going out from Hephaestus. This time was different.

"What? No!" he yelled laying on the edge of the black pool trying to hold the knife and stay over his feet. "No! Leave me!"

The Virgo Saint in front of him moved the hand down showing his palm. Then move the right hand in the same way as before.

By that moment the earthquake was so intense, Shaina needed to kick a rock that was falling close to Aghora. He wasn't paying attention to those details, deep into his mission. She looked around to receive her armour once again and, in this way, moved away from them two.

Hephaestus used all his energy to do a last thing. His eyes changed again, his body was shaking, he was leaving thru waves of cosmos that body that didn't belong to him, leaving the cosmos of Shiva going outside of the shell she was.

"It hurts!" yelled Shiva crying with desperation and pain. "Stop! Aghora!"

"Get out!" Aghora lifted his right hand to the air, pointed the sky and making then the _karana_ mudra. "Get out now!"

It was a second when Ophiuchus Shaina saw it. The eyes turned black again, but there was smoke going out of Shiva's mouth and from her wounds that opened even more. The last wave of Hephaestus' cosmos was being throw in front, in such energy and strength, the once vessel of this God, was pushed backwards. To the dark pool full of blood and dark energy.

Virgo Aghora, as he could be called using the armour, fell on his knees and just raised up his head to look this scene. He tried to stood up but his energy was low, he tried once again without being able to catch Shiva's feet.

"Sister!" he quickly felt despair; Aghora wanted to submerge his hand and catch her, but an earthquake interrupted his balance.

"Aghora!" Shaina held his arm. "We need to go!"

The lava on the roof began to fall, the columns were being destroyed and the same floor was cracking.

"I came here for Shiva! I will go inside!"

"You can't! We need to survive and help those who does!" Shaina said with tear on her eyes. "Aghora!"

Her yell shared the same pain as Aghora was feeling now. The same volcano didn't let them be there as a giant rock fell in such way the Lotus Saint needed to push Shaina and the pool was now blocked. The tears couldn't translate all the sadness and pain Aghora felt.

But they were warriors, and Shaina was right. They needed to save those who could survive. The Ophiuchus Saint held Hyoga on her arms, with a strength she didn't know she could have in that moment. At her back was the Virgo Saint following her, holding Ikki on his arms.

Only they four left the room that was in process of destruction.


End file.
